Watch The Little Mermaid 2023 Online: Disney Releases 9 Minutes for Free

Fans can get a taste of Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid remake, as nine minutes from the film have been released online for free.

The Halle Bailey-led reimaging of Disney’s animated classic hit theaters back in May, and is now set to come home on digital and eventually Disney+.

Fans were ushered back under the sea, taking in the familiar story with several notable changes as well as a few new songs exclusive to this version of the film.

Many of the mainstays from the 1989 original were also there, including the beloved “Under the Sea” and “Part of Your World” musical numbers.

Watch A Little Mermaid Preview Online

In conjunction with The Little Mermaid‘s digital release, Disney put up a nine-minute extended preview online for fans to watch for free.

The sequence takes place fairly early in the film, kicking off with Halle Bailey’s Ariel serenading a water-logged Prince Eric with her iconic siren song.

To avoid being seen by the human world, Bailey’s titular Atlantean scurries into the water, breaking into the “Part of Your World (Reprise),” culminating in the film’s quintessential waves on the rock moment as Ariel’s vocals crescendo.

After a quick check-in with the film’s villain Ursula (played by Melissa McCarthy), another musical number is quick to start with Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian the Crab giving his rendition of the classic Disney song “Under the Sea.”

This sequence sees Sebastian trying to convince Ariel that “life is [in fact] much better down where it’s wetter,” and she should stop longing for the human world. Despite getting what feels like the entire ocean in on the upbeat song, Ariel is not convinced as she quickly disappears upon the song’s conclusion.

Promoting the film’s digital release, the nine minutes of footage ends with the message, “Watch what happens next.”

The full free preview can be seen below:

Why Was This the Perfect Little Mermaid Clip?

As of late, Disney has made it a bit of a habit to release a chunk of its biggest movies online to coincide with its digital releases.

Most of this time it is not a sequence from the middle of the movie like this. Usually, it is the beginning of the movie, setting prospective audiences for the adventure ahead should they hit that purchase button to watch the whole movie.

However, this might be the perfect sequence from The Little Mermaid to release for free to the public.

This nine-minute chunk happens to include two of the film’s most recognizable and beloved musical numbers, which was likely the thinking behind picking this particular series of scenes.

Yes, the “Part of Your World” moment was the reprise and not the goosebump-inducing first run through the song in Ariel’s grotto. But Ariel’s reprise including her coming up on the rock as the wave crash behind her is nearly as iconic.

Plus, ending with “Under the Sea” was ideal, as the song is arguably the most popular from the movie.

If Disney was wanting to sell digital copies of The Little Mermaid, this was the best way to do it. After watching this preview, fans will be hard-pressed to not open up their wallets coming off two of the best musical numbers the film has to offer.

The Little Mermaid is available to purchase digitally now.