Talk of The Little Mermaid remake sequel is already starting to swirl, as the new live-action remake kicks off its weekend debut. Will a sequel to the 2023 live-action remake be on the cards? Here’s what you should know about any potential The Little Mermaid sequels.
Will there be a The Little Mermaid 2 remake?
Disney has not yet confirmed plans for The Little Mermaid remake sequel.
Currently, it doesn’t look like Disney plans to give The Little Mermaid a sequel at all. The main hint is that the ending is pretty straightforward, and there is no post-credit scene. Additionally, only a few modern live-action adaptations received a follow-up movie. Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent are two of the rare examples, with The Lion King scheduled to have its sequel premiering in 2024. Still, producers might always change their minds based on how well the film will fare during its theatrical window.
The animated movie received a direct-to-video sequel titled The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea in 2000, when the Disney Reinassance was ending. The sequel introduced Melody, Ariel’s daughter, who longed to live under the sea. While critics harshly received the film, The Little Mermaid II stands among the 2000’s most-successful direct-to-video releases, with fans particularly appreciating Melody. In 2008, a prequel story set in The Little Mermaid world made its way to home video, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning.
Although some criticism of Disney for the casting, Halle Bailey‘s performance as Ariel looks pretty strong, which might be an influent factor for producers to greenlight a sequel. It’s hard to believe that there will be any major recasting, so expect to see Jonah Hauer-King returning as Eric, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Daveed Diggs as Sebastien, and Javier Bardem as King Triton.
