To date, Disney’s expansive plans to overhaul its cherished portfolio of fairytales has gone down swimmingly, with Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book being 2016’s live-action success story after scoring big at the box office – $941.3 million to date.
Indeed. ever since Alice in Wonderland entered Hollywood’s billion dollar club, the House of Mouse has mapped out an entire slate of live-action pictures, with Pete’s Dragon and, soon, the Emma Watson-led Beauty and the Beast falling into a similar camp. It doesn’t end there, though, given The Little Mermaid is also in line for the live-action treatment, and Deadline reports that the adaptation has roped in Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda and songwriter Alan Menken to pen songs for this new rendition.
Miranda, who has enjoyed remarkable success on the board, is no stranger to Disney’s archive, after inking a deal to star opposite Emily Blunt in the studio’s long-awaited sequel Mary Poppins Returns. From what we understand, the musical maestro won’t star in The Little Mermaid, instead holding a producing role similar to his involvement in this year’s maritime adventure, Moana.
Either way, it puts The Little Mermaid firmly on track over at Disney, who will be fending off competition from Universal’s own spin on life under the sea. It may have attracted a true star in Chloë Grace Moretz, but considering the House of Mouse holds ownership to the songs and now with the addition or Miranda, their interpretation will be a difficult one to beat.
