Lin-Manuel Miranda hints Sebastian might have a new rap song in Disney's upcoming The Little Mermaid. Set for release in theaters next year, The Little Mermaid is among one of the many live-action remakes in various stages of development over at Disney. It is based on the beloved 1989 animated film, which revolves around bright-eyed mermaid Ariel and her dreams of walking among the humans on land. Halle Bailey will play Ariel for the live-action Little Mermaid, and she'll be joined by an all-star cast that includes Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Jonah Hauer-King, and Melissa McCarthy as evil sea witch Ursula.
In terms of comparable remakes, it so far looks like The Little Mermaid will be closer to 2017's Beauty and the Beast than 2020's Mulan. The latter release radically changed its story, altered the characters, and did away with the musical elements. Fans of classic songs like "Under the Sea" and "Part of Your World" don't have to worry, because The Little Mermaid will in fact be a musical. Original songwriter Alan Menken has returned to pen new songs for the live-action film, and he's been joined by Hamilton and Encanto mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Right now, Miranda has been making the rounds promoting both Encanto and tick, tick... BOOM!, but he did have some things to share about The Little Mermaid while speaking to Variety recently. When it comes to the new songs included in the film, Miranda revealed there's one for Ariel after she's lost her voice and is a human in the back half of the film. It's also certain that there will not be an original song for Ursula, but it's noted that Miranda didn't rule out a rap for Hamilton alum Diggs, who voices Sebastian the crab.
If The Little Mermaid does feature a rap number, there's no better person in the cast to perform it than Diggs. He won a Tony for his fast-talking turn as the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton, and fans would likely rejoice at the opportunity to hear him debut some new lyrics from Miranda. What makes Miranda's tease curious, though, is that he confessed months ago that he couldn't bring himself to write new Little Mermaid songs for Sebastian because he already loves his numbers so much. To be fair, "Under the Sea" truly is one of the most iconic Disney songs of all time.
But still, this means that Sebastian rapping in the live-action Little Mermaid isn't a guarantee. It also isn't out of the question. With the movie not slated to arrive until May 2023, it'll likely be a while before audiences get to hear any of the new songs. The Little Mermaid has one of the most beloved Disney soundtracks around, so the originals in the live-action version have a lot to live up to. Menken and Miranda make an exciting duo, though, and odds are they've whipped up some catchy songs for fans to enjoy.
Source: Variety