It's by no means an understatement to say the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid is one of the most anticipated movies of summer 2023. Since it was first announced years ago that the project was being developed, fans of the original animated movie waited with bated breath to see the Disney classic reimagined.
While recent months of promotional material have shown Halle Bailey front and center as everyone's favorite mermaid Ariel, with many calling her vocal performance in trailers and teasers "angelic," who else rounds out the cast of the new version?
Well, we've got a breakdown below of the cast and have even listed who voiced the animated characters in the original 1989 movie.
Meet the cast of The Little Mermaid.
Halle Bailey as Ariel
Ariel is the inquisitive young princess of the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. While she loves the great seas, she's completely enamored with what happens on land. Unfortunately for Ariel, her naive curiosity at times gets her into trouble.
Playing Ariel is of course, Halle Bailey. While the starlet has appeared in Grown-ish and is one-half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, 2023 marks a landmark year in her career. Not only is she starring in The Little Mermaid, but she's also appearing in the much-talked-about movie, The Color Purple musical, debuting at Christmas in the US (in January in the UK).
Jodi Benson voiced Ariel in the animated movie. She's also voiced Barbie in Toy Story 3 and Thumbelina in Thumbelina.
Daveed Diggs as Sebastian
Sebastion is King Triton's loyal advisor. The crab will do whatever it takes to please his boss, which is often difficult as a friend of Ariel given the princess doesn't always obey her father's wishes.
Voicing Sebastian in the live-action movie is Daveed Diggs. The actor was a breakout star in the Broadway hit Hamilton, and he’s appeared in Snowpiercer, Black-ish and Blindspotting.
In the original Little Mermaid, Sebastian was played by Samuel E. Wright. His voice can also be heard in Dinosaur, and he's appeared in Alex Haley’s Queen and episodes of Law & Order.
Jacob Tremblay as Flounder
Flounder is Ariel's best friend, who often cautions the princess against many of her explorations, despite accompanying her on nearly every one.
Jacob Tremblay voices Flounder, and he's previously starred in Good Boys, Wonder and Room.
The original Flounder character was voiced by Jason Marin. His voice has also been heard playing Mark in Rock-A-Doodle.
Awkwafina as Scuttle
Scuttle is Ariel's guide to the surface world, although the seagull often incorrectly names the human items he shows her.
Comedian Awkwafina lends her voice to the character this go around. The actress has previously lent her comedic chops to Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean's Eight and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Famed actor and comedian Buddy Hackett voiced Scuttle in the animated film. Hackett appeared in the classic movie The Music Man, The Love Bug and Scrooged.
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric
Prince Eric lives on the surface world and becomes infatuated with Ariel once she saves his life. Despite the odds stacked against them, he risks it all to be with the princess.
Jonah Hauer-King portrays Prince Eric and has previously been spotted in A Dog’s Way Home, Little Women (TV series) and is slated to star in The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Christopher Daniel Barnes voiced Eric in the cartoon film. He also starred in Malcolm & Eddie, The Brady Bunch movies and Day by Day.
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula
Differing from the animated movie, in the live-action rendition, Ursula is King Triton's sister who is determined to rule his kingdom. The sea witch also wants to steal Ariel's beautiful voice.
Making a triumphant debut as Ursula is Melissa McCarthy. The funny woman is a two-time Oscar nominee and has famously starred in Bridesmaids, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Heat and Tammy.
Emmy-winner Pat Carroll voiced Ursula in 1989. She appeared in TV series like She's the Sheriff, Too Close for Comfort and The Danny Thomas Show.
Javier Bardem as King Triton
The ruler of Atlantica and father of Ariel, King Triton is very skeptical of humans and is not a fan of his daughter's fascination with the surface world.
Javier Bardem plays the stern King, and the Oscar winner has quite the Hollywood resume. He won the Academy Award for No Country for Old Men and has also been spotted in Being the Ricardos, Skyfall and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He's set to reprise his role of Stilgar in Dune: Part Two.
Be sure you check out the reimagined version of The Little Mermaid in theaters. You can stream the 1989 animated movie on Disney Plus.
