How to watch ‘The Little Mermaid’ in 2023: Streaming, sequels and more

The new Little Mermaid is diving into theaters with a sparkling live-action look, three new original songs and a total treasure trove of a cast. Starring Halle Bailey as the fiery-haired Ariel who swaps sea for sand, Melissa McCarthy as the iconically villainous half-octopus Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and the delightfully odd coupling of Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina as Sebastian and Scuttle, the live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic Disney Princess film is certainly going to make a splash. Longing to be part of Ariel’s world? You won’t need to bargain with a sea witch to make it happen. Here’s how to watch the new Little Mermaid, plus where to stream the classic Little Mermaid movie, The Little Mermaid sequels and more.

When does the new Little Mermaid come out?

The Little Mermaid’s official release date is Friday, May 26, 2023. However, you can catch early showings in theaters as soon as this Wednesday, May 24.

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Where can I watch the new Little Mermaid (2023)

While some Disney films are heading straight to Disney+, The Little Mermaid will first be shown exclusively in theaters.

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When will The Little Mermaid be streaming on Disney+?

The Little Mermaid Disney+ premiere date is tentatively estimated to be August 30, 2023.

While no official Little Mermaid streaming date has been confirmed by Disney, most of its major movie releases drop on Disney+ following a minimum 90-day period, and typically premiere on the platform on Wednesdays, making Wednesday, August 30 the most likely date for Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action streaming release.

Where to watch the original animated The Little Mermaid and The Little Mermaid sequels

Unlike the new live-action Little Mermaid, the original Little Mermaid (and its subsequent spinoffs) is streaming right now on Disney+. Apart from the original The Little Mermaid movie, there are two spinoff films — a sequel and a prequel — and three seasons of a TV series making up Ariel’s storyline. In addition to those canon inclusions, there’s also a sing-along version of the original Little Mermaid movie, plus The Little Mermaid Live! a special tribute musical show that aired back in 2019.

All of these Little Mermaid movies and shows are currently streaming in one easy place to watch: Disney+.

(Photo: Disney+)

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Disney+

You can stream all the ‘Little Mermaid’ movies on Disney+. A basic, ad-supported subscription to the platform typically starts at $8 per month, or you can go ad-free for $11 per month to enjoy new and classic Disney princess movies, all of the ‘Star Wars’ films and series, the entirety of the MCU and more. Right now in honor of Streaming Day, you can get three months of Disney+ with ads for just $2 per month when you bundle with ad-supported Hulu. That’s just $12 for three months of ad-supported streaming on both Disney+ and Hulu. Sign up directly through Hulu to take advantage of this National Streaming Day deal!  

$2 at Disney+

The Little Mermaid sequels and spinoffs in chronological order

It’s no MCU, but Disney’s princess universe can get a little tricky between the prequels, sequels and spinoffs. Here’s every Little Mermaid movie (and show) in chronological order:

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning

The Little Mermaid (series)

The Little Mermaid (movie)

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

Will there be a Little Mermaid live-action sequel?

There has been no official word on whether the new Little Mermaid movie will have live-action sequels the way its animated counterpart did.