7 Shocking Production Secrets From 'The Little Mermaid' (2023) Behind The Scenes

The Little Mermaid (2023) live-action remake, directed by Rob Marshall, was one of the most ambitious and technically challenging Disney adaptations ever attempted. Released this past year, the film required a revolutionary approach to filmmaking to convincingly place human actors in a fully immersive underwater world. The production spanned over four years, involving thousands of visual effects shots and intense physical training for its lead star, Halle Bailey. It was a massive undertaking that blended classic Hollywood musical choreography with cutting-edge CGI technology.

The journey to bring Ariel's world to life was fraught with technical hurdles, from creating photorealistic CGI sea creatures to simulating underwater movement without actually submerging the actors for every scene. This deep dive into the The Little Mermaid behind the scenes reveals the innovative techniques, the surprising real-world locations, and the sheer dedication required by the cast and crew to make the impossible look effortless on screen.

The Technical Deep Dive: Filming Locations, VFX Studios, and Key Personnel

The monumental task of creating the underwater kingdom of Atlantica and the sunlit human world required a global effort, utilizing both massive soundstages and breathtaking natural scenery. Understanding the core team and locations is essential to appreciating the film’s scope.

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• Director: Rob Marshall (known for Chicago and Mary Poppins Returns).
• Producer: John DeLuca.
• Lead Actress (Ariel): Halle Bailey.
• Ursula: Melissa McCarthy.
• King Triton: Javier Bardem.
• VFX Supervisors: Tim Burke and Guy Williams.
• Primary Filming Location: Pinewood Studios, London, England (where the majority of the bluescreen and dry-for-wet work took place).
• Real-World Locations: The stunning coastal scenes, including Prince Eric’s castle and the beach sequences, were primarily filmed on the Italian island of Sardinia. Key spots included Rena di Metteu, Cala Moresca, and Spiaggia di Rena Majore in Aglientu.
• VFX Studios: Framestore and Rodeo FX were the primary visual effects partners responsible for creating the vast underwater environments and the photorealistic sea creatures.

1. The "Dry-For-Wet" Revolution: How Ariel Actually Swam

The most significant production secret is the technique used for the majority of the underwater sequences: "dry-for-wet" filming. Unlike traditional underwater filming, where actors are submerged, this method involves shooting actors on land against a massive bluescreen, suspended by intricate rigs and harnesses.

• The Rigs: Halle Bailey, playing Ariel, spent countless hours in complex wire rigs and custom-built harnesses. These mechanical devices allowed her to simulate the graceful, fluid movements of swimming and floating.
• The Illusion: Only Bailey’s head and arms were truly "live-action." Her mermaid tail and the entire environment—the water, the coral, the lighting—were added digitally in post-production. The VFX team then meticulously animated her hair and body to mimic the buoyancy and flow of being submerged, creating the final, seamless illusion.

2. Halle Bailey’s Grueling "Mermaid Training" and 13-Hour Shoots

While much of the work was done on dry land, Halle Bailey’s physical commitment was immense. She underwent intensive "mermaid training" to prepare for the role, which involved a combination of wire work, core strength exercises, and actual water work.

The challenge was twofold: first, to perform complex choreography while suspended in a harness for hours, which is physically taxing; and second, to maintain an "underwater" performance—keeping her eyes wide, controlling her facial expressions, and moving her body to convey the feeling of water resistance, all while breathing air. Bailey revealed that some days involved 13 hours of filming in water, confirming that true aquatic scenes were also part of the production mix to achieve realism.

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3. Why Sebastian and Flounder Had to Be Photorealistic

One of the biggest creative challenges was the appearance of Ariel’s iconic animal companions: Sebastian the crab, Flounder the fish, and Scuttle the diving bird. Director Rob Marshall insisted on a photorealistic approach, moving away from the cartoonish look of the 1989 animated film.

VFX studios Framestore and Rodeo FX had to essentially create new, believable marine life that could talk and emote without breaking the realism of the underwater environment. This decision was a major point of discussion among fans, but from a technical production standpoint, it was necessary to maintain the visual consistency of a live-action world where all other sea creatures were realistic. The animation process required meticulous attention to biological detail, ensuring the characters' movements and textures were indistinguishable from real animals.

4. The Six-Year Journey of Director Rob Marshall

The production of The Little Mermaid was a marathon, not a sprint. Director Rob Marshall and producer John Deluca were attached to the project for nearly six years, from the initial announcement to the final release. This extended timeline was necessary due to the sheer complexity of the visual effects, the global pandemic that caused significant delays, and Marshall’s meticulous approach to musical filmmaking.

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The long development process involved years of pre-production, including designing the look of Atlantica, creating the hundreds of unique CGI models for the sea life, and developing the "dry-for-wet" technology to a point where it was convincing for a feature film. The dedication of the core production team to this extended timeline highlights the scale of the creative undertaking.

5. The Real-Life Magic of Sardinia, Italy

While Pinewood Studios provided the technical backbone for the underwater scenes, the film’s stunning surface-world locations were entirely real. The production moved to the Italian island of Sardinia to film all the exterior shots involving Prince Eric’s castle, the beach where Ariel first appears, and the surrounding coastline.

The use of locations like Cala Moresca, a secluded cove, and Spiaggia di Rena Majore, a pristine beach with white sand, added an unparalleled layer of authenticity and beauty to the human world. These locations served as a crucial visual counterpoint to the CGI-heavy Atlantica, grounding the second half of the film in a tangible, sun-drenched reality.

6. The Costume Design Challenge: Ariel’s Tail

Ariel's iconic tail presented a unique challenge for the costume department. Since Halle Bailey's lower body was almost always replaced with CGI in the underwater scenes, the physical tail was primarily needed for scenes where she transitions from mermaid to human, or for promotional materials.

The design team created a custom, iridescent tail that was both a practical costume piece and a reference point for the visual effects artists. The intricate scales were designed to catch the light, providing the VFX team with real-world texture and color data to ensure the final digital tail looked perfectly integrated and believable, even when rendered entirely in CGI. The final design was a beautiful, shimmering piece of costuming art that informed the digital model.

7. Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula Transformation

The transformation of Melissa McCarthy into the sea witch Ursula was a masterpiece of prosthetic makeup and CGI integration. Unlike the underwater scenes, McCarthy's performance required a combination of practical effects and digital enhancements to achieve Ursula's massive scale and terrifying tentacles.

McCarthy spent hours in the makeup chair for the elaborate prosthetics that gave Ursula her distinctive look. For scenes involving her tentacles, the team employed a mix of puppetry and CGI. While the tentacles were mostly digital, the actors often interacted with stand-in props or performers in gray suits, giving them a physical point of focus, which is essential for a convincing performance in a CGI-heavy environment. This blend of practical and digital effects ensured Ursula was both a physically imposing presence and a visually spectacular villain.