The Little Mermaid, from Disney, earned $118 million over the long Memorial Day weekend.
The majority of Rob Marshall’s live-action thriller, starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and Awkwafina, is set underwater, among breathtaking coastal landscapes. The majority of the film’s visual effects were created digitally, however many of the locations were actually photographed.
Here’s a look at some of the locations used in filming the reimagined tale of Ariel.
Where Was the Little Mermaid Filmed?
The Little Mermaid’s beach sequences were filmed primarily on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, Italy. Production took place during the summer of 2021 in the coastal town of Santa Teresa di Gallura, located on the island’s northern coast, according to Variety.
The village of Castelsardo, where Prince Eric’s castle is located, and the beach of Spiaggia di Rena Majore near Aglientu also appear in the film. Both Rena di Metteu and Cala Moresca appear in the film as well.
However, just a small section of The Little Mermaid was shot on location; the remainder was shot at Pinewood Studios in England. Disney (and Marvel) have been filming in Pinewood for many years, with recent films including Disenchanted and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Mania.
The Little Mermaid was shot primarily on the water stages that are Pinewood’s claim to fame, both indoors and out. Pinewood Studios recently tweeted that eight of their other studios were used in the film as locations.
Disney's #TheLittleMermaid📷 splashes into cinemas from today! #ShotAtPinewood across eight stages, the paddock lot and the underwater stage. Sea it on the big screen! pic.twitter.com/xJcPrKfvbj
— Pinewood Studios (@PinewoodStudios) May 26, 2023
The majority of the film is set in water, however many of the underwater scenes were shot with the actors suspended in the air by harnesses, with CGI added to make it look like they were actually swimming.
“Every single day I would either be up in the air on wires or I would be in the water,” Bailey said in a YouTube video where she described the filming process back in 2022.
She added, “The times when I would be underwater it was crazy. I was in a huge water tank and a wave machine that would go. I can’t wait until you guys actually see it so you’ll know what I’m talking about, but it felt like I was in the middle of the ocean.”