The Little Mermaid 2023 Filming: From Sardinia’s Shores to Pinewood’s High-Tech Tanks

The 2023 live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid stands as one of Disney's most ambitious production undertakings, blending breathtaking natural landscapes with cutting-edge cinematic technology. Transitioning a beloved animated underwater world into a believable live-action environment required a dual approach: finding the perfect terrestrial coastline to represent Prince Eric’s kingdom and pioneering new ways to simulate the weightless, fluid movement of merpeople without actually submerging the cast for every shot. This article explores the intricate details of the filming process, the specific locations that brought the story to life, and the technical innovations that defined its production.

The Production Timeline and Global Challenges

Development for the reimagined The Little Mermaid began as early as 2016, but the path to the big screen was anything but linear. Principal photography was originally slated to begin in London in early 2020. However, the global pandemic forced a massive recalibration of the schedule. Sets were already being constructed when production was halted, leading to a delay of nearly a year.

Filming eventually commenced in January 2021 and wrapped in July of the same year. The bulk of the production was split between two primary hubs: the historic Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom and the rugged, crystal-clear coasts of Sardinia, Italy. This split allowed the production team to control the complex visual effects environment in a studio setting while capturing the tangible, sun-drenched beauty of the Mediterranean for the land-based sequences.

Why Sardinia? Finding the Real-World Kingdom

When director Rob Marshall and production designer John Myhre looked for a location to represent Prince Eric’s island kingdom, they needed a place that felt both regal and wild. While the original 1989 film had a vaguely Caribbean feel, the 2023 production pivoted toward the dramatic cliffs and azure waters of Sardinia.

Key Locations in Sardinia

1. Santa Teresa di Gallura: Located on the northern tip of the island, this area provided the rocky shorelines and dramatic vistas required for the shipwreck and Ariel’s rescue of Eric. The granite formations and clear water offered a visual texture that felt ancient and magical.
2. Aglientu: Known for its pristine beaches and wind-sculpted landscapes, Aglientu served as the backdrop for several coastal treks and scenes where the land-dwelling characters interact with the sea.
3. Castelsardo: This medieval town was utilized to represent parts of the kingdom’s architecture. Its elevated position and historic charm helped ground the fantasy in a world that felt lived-in and historically grounded.
4. Cala Moresca: A hidden cove with turquoise waters, this location was used for some of the more intimate beach scenes, providing a secluded, romantic atmosphere that contrasted with the grander castle sets.

The choice of Sardinia was not merely aesthetic but also practical. The island’s waters are renowned for their transparency, which allowed for beautiful surface shots that seamlessly transitioned into the digital underwater world. The production brought a massive economic boost to the region, employing hundreds of locals and utilizing the island’s unique topography to minimize the need for entirely digital environments for the "above-water" sequences.

The "Dry-for-Wet" Revolution at Pinewood Studios

One of the most significant technical hurdles for The Little Mermaid 2023 filming was how to portray characters living underwater for extended periods. In previous decades, "wet-for-wet" filming (actually shooting underwater) was the standard, but it presents immense challenges for dialogue, hair movement, and lighting. For this production, the team opted for an advanced "dry-for-wet" technique.

How Dry-for-Wet Works

In this process, actors are suspended on sophisticated rigs—often referred to as "tuning forks"—in front of massive blue screens. These rigs allow for 360-degree movement, simulating the three-dimensional navigation of swimming.

• Movement Training: The cast underwent months of physical training to master the fluid movements of sea creatures. Because they were suspended on wires and rigs, they had to engage their core muscles constantly to maintain the appearance of floating.
• Lighting and Shimmer: To mimic the way sunlight filters through water (caustics), a complex lighting rig was designed to project moving patterns of light onto the actors' skin and costumes in real-time.
• Digital Hair and Tails: While the actors wore reference suits, their mermaid tails and much of their hair were added in post-production. Hair behaves differently underwater, moving with a constant, slow-motion buoyancy that is nearly impossible to replicate with a real wig in a dry environment. Consequently, the VFX teams at companies like Framestore and MPC spent years perfecting the physics of digital hair.

Filming the Iconic "Part of Your World" Sequence

The "Part of Your World" musical number is the emotional heartbeat of the film, and its filming was a marathon of technical precision and performance. The sequence was shot over the course of three days at Pinewood Studios.

Unlike a traditional music video or stage performance, the actress had to perform while being manipulated by various rigs to simulate her swimming through her grotto. The grotto itself was a blend of physical set pieces—shelves of "human treasures"—and digital extensions. The lighting was meticulously choreographed to follow Ariel’s movements, ensuring that as she reached toward the surface, the "water" became brighter and more vibrant.

One of the most famous shots—the "hair flip" as Ariel surfaces—proved to be a physical challenge. In reality, the weight of long hair extensions soaked in water is significant. On set, the sequence required multiple takes to ensure the arc of the water and the movement of the hair looked both majestic and natural. Reports from the set suggest that the physical toll of this specific shot was underestimated, requiring the actress to maintain incredible neck strength to achieve the desired effect.

The Technical Arsenal: Cameras and Lenses

To capture the grand scale of the underwater kingdom and the intimate details of the human world, cinematographer Dion Beebe utilized high-end digital cinema equipment.

• Cameras: The production primarily used the Arri Alexa 65 and Alexa Mini LF. The Alexa 65 is a large-format camera known for its incredible resolution and depth, which was essential for the vast underwater vistas of Atlantica.
• Lenses: Hawk 65 and Leitz Thalia 65 lenses were employed to give the film a soft, organic feel, preventing the digital elements from feeling too "sharp" or artificial. The large-format glass allowed for a shallow depth of field, which helped focus the audience’s attention on the characters amidst complex CGI backgrounds.
• Photogrammetry: The production team used photogrammetry to scan real coral reefs and rock formations. These scans were then used to build the digital sets, ensuring that the underwater environment had the complexity and "imperfections" of the real ocean.

Creating the Shipwreck: A Masterclass in Practical Effects

While much of the film relies on CGI, the shipwreck sequence utilized significant practical effects to create a sense of peril. A massive gimbal was used to tilt and shake a physical portion of the ship, while high-pressure water cannons doused the actors and stunt performers.

Filming the shipwreck required a delicate balance between the physical safety of the cast and the chaotic energy of a storm. The sequence was meticulously storyboarded and pre-visualized in a digital environment before a single frame was shot. This "pre-vis" allowed the director to see how the practical ship pieces would interact with the digital waves and the giant Ursula later in the film.

Character-Specific Filming Challenges

Each character presented unique filming requirements:

• King Triton: For scenes involving the ruler of the sea, the production had to convey a sense of immense scale and power. The actor was often placed on higher rigs to literally look down on the other characters, emphasizing his stature.
• Ursula: The sea witch’s lair was one of the few large-scale physical sets built at Pinewood. However, her tentacles were entirely digital. During filming, the actress had to interact with stunt performers in blue suits who moved the "tentacles" to provide physical resistance and tactile feedback.
• Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle: These characters were entirely CGI, but they required "eye-line" references on set. Puppeteers often used rod puppets or simple tennis balls on sticks so the human actors knew exactly where to look during dialogue scenes. In some cases, the voice actors were present on set to provide live interaction, which helped the cast maintain the emotional rhythm of the scenes.

The Role of Sound and Music During Production

Because The Little Mermaid is a musical, the audio was as important as the visuals during the filming process. While most of the final vocals were recorded in a professional studio environment, the actors often sang live on set. This allowed the director to capture the physical exertion and emotional nuances that come with singing, which the animators then used to sync the characters’ facial movements.

Lin-manuel Miranda and Alan Menken worked closely with the production team to integrate new songs into the filming schedule. Some of these new sequences required entirely different rigging setups to accommodate the faster tempo and different movement patterns required for the new choreography.

The Legacy of the 2023 Filming Process

Reflecting on the production from the vantage point of 2026, the filming of The Little Mermaid is seen as a pivotal moment in the evolution of virtual production. It pushed the boundaries of what was possible with "dry-for-wet" photography, proving that a major motion picture could sustain the illusion of being underwater for its entire duration without the logistical nightmares of traditional water filming.

Moreover, the integration of Sardinia’s natural beauty with Pinewood’s technological prowess created a visual language that honored the 1989 original while offering something substantively new. The production didn't just recreate a cartoon; it built a tangible world where the physics of water and the magic of Disney could coexist.

Summary of Production Facts

In conclusion, The Little Mermaid 2023 filming was a massive feat of engineering and artistry. By combining the rugged, authentic textures of the Italian coast with the most advanced studio technology available, the filmmakers managed to capture the essence of a world that technically cannot exist. For fans and students of cinema, the production serves as a comprehensive case study on how to navigate the complexities of modern blockbuster filmmaking in a post-pandemic world. Whether it was the three-day shoot for a single song or the logistics of moving a massive crew to the cliffs of Sardinia, every frame of the film is a testament to the scale of Disney’s creative vision.