Where to Watch The Little Mermaid in Canada (2023)

The highly-anticipated live-action remake of the classic Disney fairytale “The Little Mermaid” finally graced the big screen last May. 

Read on to know where you can watch Halle Bailey’s majestic performance as the beloved Disney princess on streaming services in Canada.

What Is The Little Mermaid About?

“The Little Mermaid” is a live-action musical film that retells the same story as its classic children’s tale counterpart. It follows The Little Mermaid, Ariel, the youngest of the seven daughters of the sea god, King Triton, and her journey to becoming human. Like any other merfolk, Ariel is forbidden from ever going to land. But the world beyond the sea has always fascinated the young mermaid. 

As Ariel admires the human world from afar as part of her usual routine, she bears witness to a shipwreck where she saves the human prince, Eric, from drowning. She brought Eric to the shore, hid behind a mountain of rocks, and sang a melody for the prince to wake up. Upon hearing her angelic voice, Prince Eric instantly fell in love with Ariel, even though he hadn’t seen her. Unbeknownst to him, Ariel has fallen in love with him as well. 

Determined to be with Prince Eric, Ariel seeks help from the sea witch Ursula to transform her into a human in exchange for her voice. But the witch gave her an ultimatum: the prince has to fall in love with Ariel and kiss her within three days, or Ariel’s voice will belong to Ursula forever. Ariel agreed and began a dangerous journey on land to find the prince and make him fall in love with her.

“The Little Mermaid” was released in theaters worldwide on May 26, 2023. It has a runtime of 135 minutes.

Who Are in the Cast and Production of The Little Mermaid?

Theater director Robert Marshall helmed the live-action film and co-produced it with Marc Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and John Deluca. Screenwriter David Magee wrote the screenplay based on Hans Christian Andersen and Disney’s classic fairytale, “The Little Mermaid.” Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures serves as the film’s main distributor. Halle Bailey — the other half of the musical duo Chloe x Halle — fronts the movie as The Little Mermaid. Here’s the entire cast of the film:

• Halle Bailey as Ariel
• Jonah Hauer-King as Eric
• Melissa McCarthy as Ursula
• Jessica Alexander as Vanessa
• Javier Bardem as King Triton
• Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina
• Art Malik as Sir Grimsby
• Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian
• Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder
• Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle

What is the Rating for The Little Mermaid?

“The Little Mermaid” is rated PG (Parental Guidance) in Canada, which means that the film is suitable for younger audiences since it contains few to no depictions of mature themes.

How Many People Watch The Little Mermaid?

“The Little Mermaid” grossed over $326 million at the worldwide box office in its first week.

How Are the Reviews for  The Little Mermaid?

While viewers were thrilled to see the first live-action remake of the classic tale and its new black princess, the movie still received mixed responses from critics. “The Little Mermaid” was heavily criticized, mainly because of the casting of Halle Bailey, a black American national. Some claimed that the casting choice ruined the authenticity of the story, while others saw it as a progressive move for the film industry. The movie was also commended for its high-end and detailed special effects, while Bailey was praised for her acting and singing performances as well. “The Little Mermaid” scored 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, 59/100 on Metacritic, and 7.2/10 on IMDb. Here’s what critics are saying about the film:

• “Overall, it’s a visually gorgeous film, buoyed by a strong ingenue in Bailey with enough laughs for the kids and the nostalgic adults—just don’t expect anything new.” – Chicago Reader

• “Yes, to have a Black princess in a major Hollywood film is, sadly, forward-thinking in 2023. But there is nothing innovative or reformist about what happens in this movie.” – The Huffington Post.

Where to Watch The Little Mermaid in Canada

“The Little Mermaid” is yet to be available on streaming services in Canada.

Is The Little Mermaid Available on Streaming?

Unfortunately, “The Little Mermaid” is yet to be available on streaming services since it’s still playing in theaters. However, since the movie is exclusively produced by Disney, you can expect it to be available on the Disney Plus platform in a few months. 

While you wait for “The Little Mermaid” to arrive on Disney Plus, you can check out other original must-see titles from the platform, like “The Mandalorian,” “American Born Chinese,” and “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Is The Little Mermaid Available for Rent (VOD)?

“The Little Mermaid” is not yet available on any VOD services.

Is The Little Mermaid Available on Cable or Free TV?

“The Little Mermaid” is currently not airing on any cable channels.

Should I Use a VPN to Watch The Little Mermaid?

“The Little Mermaid” will most likely be streaming via Disney Plus, which is available in Canada, so a VPN wouldn’t be necessary.

Diving Into A New Era of Disney Princesses

Despite the backlash, Halle Bailey’s performance as Ariel breathed new life into the classic fairytale and defied the negative expectations of the critics. Halle’s Ariel marks a fresh and thrilling chapter in Disney’s legacy of charming princesses that will continue to attract new generations and reshape the tradition of magical storytelling.