The Little Mermaid Production Resumes

A cast member of the live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” has confirmed that filming has officially begun, under strict health and safety protocols. The film production has been in limbo for quite some time.

Filming was expected to begin in early 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic caused production to halt just one week before filming. Production set their sights on the summer, however they were not 100% ready for the greenlight. They set a final date for January 2021 and are sticking to that plan.

Javier Bardem, who is playing King Triton, confirmed that filming is underway.

Bardem spoke with Columbia’s Diary, El Tiempo about what it has been like filming a Disney production in the age of COVID-19

“Well, it’s affecting because there’s nothing more than being on the hotel, then go to work… From work to the hotel, because that’s what should be done… All protocols are exhaustive, there’s a lot of care when they’re doing the tests every day, with the number of people on the set, which is considerably big. There’s a lot of protocols and honestly I feel safe. Other thing is when you leave the set, in my case I go home, same as the other production members, but I think that if all things are done properly, it could totally be a safe place.”

Confirming the strict protocols that Disney is putting in place to make sure this production rolls on without any problems, after already having been pushed back a number of times already.

The anticipation for this film was widely due to its star studded cast. Not only do you have the Emmy-Award winning actress Melissa Mccarthy as Ursla, but also Awkwafina as Scuttie and Jacob Tremblay as Flounder.

Perhaps the most exciting cast announcement was Halle Bailey playing the lead as Ariel. Bailey is most known for her work as a recording artist in the popular duo ChloexHalle, she performs alongside her sister. This was met with tons of positive response from social media, as this is the first time the character Ariel will be represented by a woman of color.

Bailey spoke with ET back in May about the sudden production halt. “I was in London since the beginning of the year, and about to start filming, and of course this pandemic has caused everybody to slow down."

The film is being directed by Rob Marshall, who has worked on iconic Disney films like Mary Poppins and Pirates of The Caribbean. It will feature brand-new original music as well as the signature music from the original animated version.

Production is taking place at Pinewood Studios in Iver, England. At this time, there is no release date set for this film.