The Little Mermaid might not have been Disney's biggest live-action hit but with over $560 million at the worldwide box office, it definitely had legs.
To mark the movie's Digital release, a first look at the Blu-ray's bonus features has been revealed, and it takes us behind the scenes of "Kiss the Girl." In the video (first shared on Toonado.com), we see Sebastian actor Daveed Diggs talk about the pressure which comes with performing such an iconic track, a sentiment shared by co-star Awkwafina (Scuttle).
Composers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken are also shown working on this new version of the song, while footage of the sequence being shot reveals how puppets were used as stand-ins before later being replaced with their - surprisingly divisive - CG counterparts.
Miranda was reportedly asked to make some changes to the song in order to show Prince Eric obtaining Ariel's consent before locking lips with her, but outside of a line or two, it sounded very much the same. Even so, this is a compelling glimpse into how this part of the movie was made.
Check out this newly released featurette for The Little Mermaid below along with an extended "Under the Sea" clip.
In The Little Mermaid, the youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart.
She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
The Little Mermaid stars singer and actress Halle Bailey as Ariel, Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder, Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Art Malik as Sir Grimsby, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, with Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
The movie is now available on Digital platforms and hits 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 19.