Live action musicals on network TV are all the rage these days, and now ABC America is entering the genre with its own weird mishmash version of The Little Mermaid. But this version will be a two-hour special event that somehow promises to meld scenes from the animated Disney classic with live musical performances by an as-yet-unrevealed cast of “celebrity artists”. The hell?
Image: Disney
That’s pretty much all that’s known about the event, which was announced today as part of the network’s autumn schedule. Naturally, there’s some confusion as to what The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live! actually is. Is it a riff on the Broadway adaptation of the film? Is it just a concert of Little Mermaid songs with footage from the movie spliced in? Is it ABC America finally realising that it’s owned by Disney and can therefore attempt to leverage decades of beloved musical movies — which are already being cannibalised for live action remakes on the big screen — to enter this weird genre of live TV musicals?
It’s probably a mix of all three, honestly. We’ll find out soon enough, with The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live! set to air in the US October 3. No word yet on an Australian broadcaster.
[Deadline]