‘The Little Mermaid’ is getting the live TV musical treatment thanks to ABC.
via Page Six:
The special, “The Wonderful World Of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live!,” will feature soon-to-be-unveiled “celebrity artists” to perform Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s songs from the 1989 film (the pair won two Oscars, for score and the song “Under The Sea,” and were nominated for “Kiss the Girl”). Little else is known, other than that they’re weaving together live and animated elements. Done + Dusted is producing the special, with Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart, David Jammy, Katy Mullan and Richard Kraft of Kraft-Engel Productions executive producing.
Other broadcast networks have been using Upfronts Week announced their latest entries into the genre that NBC first re-introduced in 2013 with “The Sound Of Music Live!” NBC is prepping “Jesus Christ Superstar” for Easter 2018. Fox plans a “A Christmas Story,” based on the Tony-nominated musical and the 1983 hit movie, for December, as well as an adaptation of “Rent.” Both come via Marc Platt who has been in the middle of many of these live musicals including “Grease Live!”
In August, Deadline broke the news that Disney is pairing “Hamilton‘s” Lin-Manuel Miranda with Menken for a live-action feature adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” with the two writing the songs together and Platt producing with Miranda. It’s Disney’s latest move to reinvent its classic titles into live-action movies (i.e., “The Jungle Book,” “Cinderella,” “Maleficent”).
ABC also announced another special today, Rolling Stone 50, a live three-hour broadcast February 7, 2018 will showcase live performances, short films, iconic on-stage moments, never-before-seen musical pairings, and celebrities that have shaped pop culture, music and politics over 50 years through the magazine. It’s also from Done + Dusted.
If they get the casting right, this could be a HUGE hit for the network.
