Jodi Benson speaks out on her cameo in The Little Mermaid's live-action remake
She voiced Ariel in the original film!
After it was initially announced all the way back in 2016, it feels like Disney fans had to wait for a VERY long time for the release of Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Thankfully, it was released in May 2023 - and wow, did it deliver!
Fans of the original animated version of The Little Mermaid, released in 1989, will remember that Jodi Benson voiced both the speaking and singing voice for Ariel - and were delighted to see that she had a cameo in the film.
Is original Ariel actress Jodi Benson in the remake?
Jodi has now spoken out about the cameo in a sweet post on Facebook. Sharing a behind-the-scenes snap of herself and Halle Bailey, who starred as Ariel in the 2023 remake, Jodi wrote that she'd had to keep the secret of her cameo for four years!
She wrote: 'I spent almost a month in London & absolutely loved being on set & working with the brilliant Halle & Jonah, the talented cast & crew and my dear genius friends Rob & John-we’ve been friends for over 30 years.
'This whole experience was so magical & unbelievably emotional for me. Truly a dream come true! I am so very proud of this stunningly beautiful & heartfelt film. Congratulations Halle❤️ thank you for loving Ariel like I do!'
29th May 2023 update: The Little Mermaid is released!
Halle Bailey, who portrays the film's main character Ariel, marked the occasion with a sweet Instagram post, sharing snaps of herself in mermaid colours with the caption: 'can’t believe tonight is the night .. the little mermaid is in theaters everywhere at midnight tonight 🐬✨.' sic
Beyoncé's advice to Halle
Halle opened up just before the film's release about the advice she's received from her mentor, Beyoncé Carter-Knowles, who signed her and her sister Chloe to her label in 2018 and got them their big break.
She told the Daily Telegraph: "I think with Beyoncé, you really learn by watching her, and the example of the human being she is. Seeing her work ethic and how hard she works for herself and her family, and how kind and good-hearted she is.
"I think I just watch Beyoncé by example. She’s one of those people that are very humble and doesn’t like to, I don’t know, say, ‘Do this! Or do that!’ It’s very much - ‘I’m proud of you, you spread your wings and fly.’”
Halle also admitted to the publication how nervous she'd been about taking on the role: "I was scared, and filled with this like anxiety and nervousness because I want to do a good job. Not only for the little girl within me, but for everyone else who this movie has impacted so much.
"We all get so territorial over the stories we know and love. I tried to approach it from a place of honesty and truth. I’m still finding out who I am every single day. Ariel, she taught me a lot about myself, what I am capable of - I approached it from that mindset, allowing her to teach me." 👏👏👏
Halle Bailey shares behind the scenes
A few days after the film's release, Halle shared two posts featuring behind-the-scenes photos and videos from the film. One of the clips is particularly moving, as it shows Halley recording a video diary.
In the video, Halle opens up very candidly about how difficult she was finding making the film on her second day of the project, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic, so she can be seen wearing a face mask.
It's important for audiences to see that, while she had so much fun making the film and has repeatedly said how grateful she is to be a part of it, it was a lot of hard work for her and she truly put her all into it.
Disney release 'Part Of Your World' from the 2023 Little Mermaid remake
A month prior to the film's release, Disney released 'Part Of Your World' from the film, sung by Halle Bailey. The iconic song from the original 1989 animated film was originally sung by voice artist and singer Jodi Benson, and became a worldwide hit upon the film's release - however, it's still a fan-favourite to this day, so fans were eager to hear how the 2023 adaptation's Ariel would sound.
We could hear Halle Bailey's stunning vocals take on the film's signature song - alongside an accompanying video featuring clips from the movie. Halle will have had a tricky job recording this song - ensuring that it stays familiar for fans of the original, but equally putting her own spin on it. It sounds like she's achieved this perfectly... And if you don't have goosebumps by the end, we'll be shocked!
Character posters revealed
Although we've seen glimpses of the cast in the trailer and how they'll look in the film, Disney took it one step further in April 2023 by releasing the character posters for the film... Check out the main cast in their full, live-action remake glory!
Halle Bailey as Ariel
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric
Javier Bardem as King Triton
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula
Jacob Tremblay as Flounder
Daveed Diggs as Sebastian
Awkwafina as Scuttle
Disney release full-length trailer
In March 2023, Disney put out the film's full-length trailer. Showing the main cast in all their glory, we can see electrifying performances from the likes of Halle Bailey as Ariel, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
WATCH: The Little Mermaid - full-length trailer
Alongside the trailer, the Mouse House also released the film's official poster.
First poster and release date announced
Thankfully, we were given a release date as well as a teaser trailer back in September 2022, getting to see a small snippet of how the characters would be, and a month later, Disney released a poster for the film.
Star of the show Halle Bailey posted the poster to her Instagram profile too with the sweet caption: 'Words can’t describe how immensely honored I feel to play the mermaid of my dreams, Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Come under the sea with me, in theaters May 26, 2023 🧜🏽♀️.'
When will the live action The Little Mermaid be released?
Disney confirmed the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid will be released on 26th May 2023... It's getting closer!
Who's in the cast of the live action The Little Mermaid?
Halle Bailey as Ariel
Halle Bailey was announced by director Rob Marshall in July 2019 in a statement: "After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role." Ariel was originally voiced by Jodi Benson in the 1989 animated original.
Halle Bailey performs with her sister Chloe under the name Chloe x Halle and was signed by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter who reached out after seeing the sisters perform a cover of her song 'Pretty Hurts' on YouTube.
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric
Jonah Hauer-King was confirmed to have been cast as Prince Eric back in November 2019, beating out the likes of Harry Styles to portray Ariel's love interest - originally voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes. He's shared a few photos to his Instagram profile to confirm the news, including a snap of himself with co-star Halle Bailey.
Jonah has appeared in World On Fire, a war drama series, a BBC adaptation of Little Women and A Dog's Way Home among other films.
Javier Bardem as King Triton
Renowned actor Javier Bardem was rumoured for a while to be portraying Ariel's father, King Triton - originally voiced by Kenneth Mars. Javier was confirmed to have joined the cast by composer Alan Menken in 2020, and spoke about his excitement for the role in 2021, telling GQ that he'd taken on the role for his children: "It's a father taken by the deep love and ownership of his younger daughter, and fighting with the fact that she's going to leave the nest, and being unable to cope with that as a man and as a protector, and not being able to give her the room that she deserves, the place that she holds as a woman, as a girl, as a grown-up. So it's very Shakespearean."
Javier will be a familiar face to film buffs, having appeared in No Country For Old Men, Skyfall and Vicky Cristina Barcelona among many others.
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula
Melissa McCarthy was heavily rumoured to be playing Ursula in the lead up to the announcements, and was also confirmed by Alan Menken in the same interview as Javier. She teased her involvement prior to this in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel: "I hadn't heard about that. It seems like it would be an awfully fun thing to do. I'd love if Disney gave me a little ringy-dingy." But she then turned to directly face the camera, in a way that made viewers certain that it was happening, saying: "We'll see. If It did it would be very wonderful, Disney." The villain was originally voiced by Pat Carroll.
Melissa is best known for her comedy roles, appearing in TV show Mike & Molly as well as blockbusters Bridesmaids, Spy, The Boss and her more serious side in Can You Ever Forgive Me?.
Daveed Diggs as Sebastian
Rapper and singer Daveed Diggs was also confirmed by Alan to be taking on the iconic role of Sebastian, originally voiced by Samuel E. Wright! Appearing in a voice role, Daveed spoke out on the importance of getting Sebastian right: "I had so many friends growing up for whom Sebastian was the first time they had seen themselves represented in mainstream American culture. As flawed as that is, that's still important. So, that role stressed me out quite a bit, but also is incredibly fun."
He added that as he is not of Caribbean descent, so spent a lot of time preparing: "I've spent a lot of time in Trinidad and I went to Jamaica to research, and I did a lot of voice work with Chris Walker and with the late Tony Hall, to try to get the voice right."
Daveed originated the roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton, winning both a Grammy and a Tony Award for the role. He also starred in Netflix's remake of Snowpiercer, and has had smaller roles in TV shows Black-ish and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, as well as 2017 film Wonder alongside Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.
Jacob Tremblay as Flounder
16-year-old Jacob Tremblay will voice Ariel's BFF Flounder, voiced by Jason Marin in the animated original. Speaking to Collider in 2021, Jacob said his experience of working on The Little Mermaid had been "so fun", adding that he really likes "what they did with Flounder's character design - I won't say too much, but it's really cool."
Jacob started his career at a very young age, starring in films such as Room, Wonder and Doctor Sleep. He also voiced the titular character in Disney's 2021 hit Luca, and will star in Netflix's My Father's Dragon which is set for a 2022 release alongside Stranger Things' Gaten Matarazzo and Whoopi Goldberg among many other big names.
Awkwafina as Scuttle
Comedian and actress Awkwafina is taking on the voice role of Scuttle - originally a seagull in the 1989 animated original voiced by Buddy Hackett, but this iteration will be a diving bird instead. In 2021, Awkwafina told Comicbook.com about working on the film: "Oh man. I mean, that was so cool. I mean, each one of these experiences is mind blowing in their own respect and very special, and for that one, it was so cool to work with Rob Marshall and Lin-Manuel Miranda. And I think that the world's going to really, really like it."
Awkwafina is probably best known for her roles in Ocean's 8, Crazy Rich Asians and Jumanji: The Next Level, having started her career as a rapper on YouTube. She also had a lead role in 2019 film The Farewell, a role for which she received a Golden Globe Award. She has done voice work with Disney before in Raya and the Last Dragon, as well as having a role in Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Simone Ashley
Simone Ashley is set to appear in an as-yet undisclosed role in the film. She confirmed in an interview with The Sunday Times that she would be taking part in the live-action remake, but her part in the film is being kept very much under wraps at the moment - although Disney fans have speculated that she could be one of Ariel's sisters... Watch this space!
Netflix fans will recognise Simone instantly from her roles as Olivia Hanan on Sex Education and Kate Sharma on Bridgerton, a role she will be returning to for the third season.
Art Malik as Grimsby
Art Malik will be taking on the role of Grimsby, Prince Eric's adviser and confidante which was originally voiced by Ben Wright. Although he doesn't seem to have spoken out much about his participation in the film, he has posted the teaser trailer and the official film poster on his Instagram page, confirming his involvement.
Art has had a prolific acting career, starring in James Bond film The Living Daylights, The Jewel in the Crown, Arnold Schwarzenegger's nemesis in True Lies and Homeland alongside Claire Danes.
How will the live-action remake be different?
We'll have to wait and see! But Halley did tell Edition magazine in March 2023 that Ariel wouldn't be leaving her life behind "for a boy", and that they'd "changed the perspective" on that aspect of the original film.
She said: "I’m really excited for my version of the film because we’ve definitely changed that perspective. It’s way bigger than that. It’s about herself, her purpose, her freedom, her life and what she wants. As women we are amazing, we are independent, we are modern, we are everything and above, and I’m glad that Disney is updating some of those themes."
Is filming complete for The Little Mermaid remake?
It is! Back in July 2021, titular star Halle Bailey confirmed that filming had wrapped! Taking to her Instagram, Halle shared a snap of herself channeling Ariel by relaxing in the sea.
She wrote: 'and just like that..that’s a wrap ❤️after auditioning for this film when i was 18 just about to turn 19 , to now finishing filming through a pandemic when i turned 21 ..we have finally made it...💖i feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory..
'it has been the toughest experience being away from everything and everyone i’ve ever known, to feeling self doubt/ loneliness, but also feeling such freedom and perseverance as i’ve reached the end. this experience has made me so much stronger than i ever thought i could be.'
She then took the time to mention her co-stars - Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric, Jacob Tremblay who plays Flounder, as well as Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs, calling them 'masters of their craft'.
Halle added: 'i cannot wait for time to speed up so you all can watch this film because it was made with so much love (plus blood sweat and tears) lol thank you sardinia for a wonderful ending!!! xoxo.'
Where was the live-action remake filmed?
Filming locations for The Little Mermaid appear to be Pinewood Studios in the UK and also Sardinia, a small island off the coast of Italy - and we can see as much from Halle's post.
Is there a trailer for The Little Mermaid?
In September, at their D23 event, Disney shared a teaser trailer for their highly-anticipated The Little Mermaid live-action remake. We get a sneak peek at Halle Bailey singing some of the song 'Part of Your World' as well as beautiful underwater visuals.
Reactions to The Little Mermaid trailer
After the trailer for The Little Mermaid was released, parents shared videos of their daughters reacting to the trailer and seeing themselves represented on screen - leading Halle to share a beautifully heartwarming collage video.
She wrote: 'people have been sending these reactions to me all weekend and i’m in truly in awe ♥️seeing these little babies reactions makes me so emotional 💗this means the world to me 💗😭thank you all for your unwavering support.'
Composer Alan Menken speaks out on the cast
Alan Menken - composer, songwriter and all-around genius behind most of Disney's beloved songs - revealed some details about the casting for Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid back in 2020.
After Halle Bailey was announced to be playing Ariel in the film, Alan - who has written songs for Disney films for over 30 years - announced news of the casting in an interview with Young Artists of America.
When asked what he was working on, Alan gave some very exciting answers - revealing that there's a stage show of Hercules on the way, as well as a prequel to Beauty and the Beast. But the most exciting news was about The Little Mermaid cast!
He said: "Melissa McCarthy came in and sang Ursula, Javier Bardem came in and sang King Triton, Daveed Diggs, who is from Hamilton, sang Sebastian, with Awkwafina singing Scuttle."
This confirmed most of the casting rumours for the film at the time - although he did not confirm Jonah Hauer-King's involvement as Prince Eric or Jacob Tremblay taking on Flounder.
Watch the interview below:
Halle also shared an Instagram post to reveal she'd won the role, posting an incredible reworking of the iconic moment Ariel sings 'Part Of Your World' on the rock with the caption: 'dream come true... 🧜🏽♀️🌊 #thelittlemermaid.' sic
Other actresses in the running for the role were Chloe Grace Moretz, who apparently pulled out of the film so that she could "take a break" and "reassess" the types of roles she wanted to play.
The Greatest Showman's Zendaya was also apparently in the running, and although she never addressed the rumours, it was reported that she'd "been offered the role". She reached out after Halle's casting to congratulate her on Twitter.
Get to know Halle Bailey
Halle Bailey is a 23-year-old singer who performs with her sister Chloe under the band name Chloe x Halle. The girls were born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in L.A., California. They first started out doing covers of their favourite songs on YouTube, and after singing Beyoncé's 'Pretty Hurts', were contacted by none other than the singer herself and were signed to her label, Parkwood Entertainment.
After releasing their debut EP, 'Sugar Symphony', in April 2016, they joined Beyoncé to support the European leg of her 'The Formation World Tour' later that year. They also performed as the opening act of Beyoncé's 'On The Run II' tour with her husband Jay-Z in 2018.
Their song 'Warrior', which appeared on their debut album 'The Kids Are Alright' in 2018, was used for Disney's film A Wrinkle In Time starring Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon. The sisters are also actresses, and star in Grown-ish - a spin-off of US TV show Black-ish, and perform the theme song.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk in August 2019, Halle revealed that the role was a dream come true for her. She said: "It means so much to me. I feel very honoured and really grateful for the opportunity. Ariel was one of my favourite princesses growing up so it’s a dream come true. I’m very excited and happy."
Her sister Chloe told Entertainment Tonight: "My sister is so incredibly talented and I can’t wait for the world to see what I see every single day. ‘I am just so proud of her. It’s going to be really good."
Did Lizzo audition to play Ursula?
It's not only Melissa McCarthy who was keen to play Ursula in the film - singer Lizzo also threw her hat into the ring! In October 2018, she tweeted a now-deleted video of herself practising an evil laugh with the caption: 'Just gonna put this back out there. 🗣IT IS MY DREAM TO PLAY URSULA IN THE LIL MERMAID Here’s my audition tape... @Disney.' sic
She also filmed herself in full Ursula get-up for Halloween and posted a video singing Ursula's signature tune, 'Poor Unfortunate Souls'.
Did Terry Crews audition to play King Triton?
Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Terry Crews launched an online campaign to portray the role. He first posted two Photoshopped pictures of himself - one with a long, white beard and fish tale, and another cartoon version, writing: 'IF YALL LIKE THIS ENOUGH MAYBE IT’LL HAPPEN! 🧜🏾♀️🧜🏾♂️ KING TRITON! 🔱 #TerryForTriton #MermanLife #LikeItThenWatchAGT #AmericasGotTerry.'
He then posted a hilarious video of himself singing the famous 'Under The Sea' from the original, with added bubbles and waves! He wrote: 'SINGING AUDITION: under the sea! under the sea! my pecs are better, my triton is bigger, take it from me!'
Did Harry Styles audition to play Prince Eric?
One Direction star Harry Styles was in talks to play Prince Eric according to The Hollywood Reporter. Harry, who made his film debut in Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' in 2017, was in "early negotiations" to take on the role, but in September 2019 it was confirmed that he'd turned down the role.
In an interview with The Face, Harry explained that the idea of him playing the role in the new film "was discussed," however he has decided to put all of his efforts into his music. Harry explained: "I want to put music out and focus on that for a while. But everyone involved in it was amazing, so I think it’s going to be great. I’ll enjoy watching it, I’m sure."
In November 2019, Variety confirmed that World On Fire actor Jonah Hauer-King had been cast as Prince Eric. Jonah then shared an Instagram post to confirm filming had wrapped in July 2021.
He wrote: 'after a mad year and a half, that’s a wrap on the little mermaid! It has been the most formative and special job of my life. thank you to all of the absolutely incredible crew and cast who blew me away with their talent and professionalism — some of them pictured here, many of them not 🙏
'Genuinely so excited for you all to see the phenomenal work done by the teams behind and in front of camera — not least Halle, who is absolute magic in the film. I love ya. Just wait 🧜🏾♀️💫.'
In April 2023, the film's director Rob Marshall then revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he thought Harry wanted to work on 'darker' films. He said: "(It) really felt like he wanted to go off and do the movies that he ended up doing (Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman), which were sort of darker."
Who will play Chef Louis in the live action The Little Mermaid?
It's not even been confirmed that Chef Louis will appear in the rebooted version of the film, but fans of the original are desperately calling for Gordon Ramsay to have a cameo as the angry chef.
Taking to Twitter, fans of Disney suggested Gordon is the only man for the job, with one excitedly writing: 'PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN I WON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING EVER AGAIN I SWEAR JUST PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN', whilst another tweeted: 'Ok so, I think Gordon should play the angry chef. He would be really good!'
Will the original songs be used in the live action The Little Mermaid?
Alan Menken wrote the music for the original film, and is returning to the film to team up with Hamilton superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Scroll through to see all the most underrated animated films of all time...
1) The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney, 1996
I know I've already mentioned that this is my favourite, but I've only included it because practically no-one else in the Closer Online office has seen it. Admittedly, it is a little dark and ever so slightly gruesome, but the songs are by far and away some of the best that Disney song-master Alan Menken has ever written.
It tells the tale of Quasimodo, a disfigured man who lives in the bell tower of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. He was brought up by Judge Frollo, an evil man who killed Quasimodo's mother, unbeknownst to him. Enter a beautiful gypsy who has a hilarious and sassy pet goat, a soldier and some talking gargoyles – what more do you need?!
2) Thumbelina, Don Bluth, 1994
Based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, Thumbelina is a story of death-defying love, the importance of family – and a tiny, tiny girl. Grown from a flower, Thumbelina (voiced by Jodi Benson AKA Ariel from The Little Mermaid) is somewhat mollycoddled by her loving but slightly over-protective mum.
When she goes on an adventure with the fairy Prince Cornelius, she falls deeply in love. But the two are separated by a family of Spanish toads, a beetle, a mole – and the deathly dangerous winter. Will they ever make it back together? You'll be singing Let Me Be Your Wings for WEEKS.
3) The Princess and the Frog, Disney, 2009
You know the story of The Frog Prince, right? A prince gets turned into a frog and only true love's kiss can break the spell and make him human again. But who's going to fall in love with a frog? Well that's where things get interesting. In THIS version, he does get a kiss, but it has the opposite effect – turning TIANA into a frog too. Go on – you know you want to.
4) The Prince of Egypt, DreamWorks, 1998
Tell you what, if you're looking to teach your kids about Moses and the Ten Plagues of Egypt, you could do a lot worse than to show them this. It's not EXACTLY spot on for historical accuracy, but you've not come here to watch documentaries, have you? Be warned – it is pretty dark and it will DEFINITELY tug at your heartstrings, but it's a must-see if you want your children to be interested in religion or history.
5) Pocahontas, Disney, 1995
If you're wanting your kids to watch Frozen because you think Elsa is a fantastic female role model, get them in front of this classic. Pocahontas is the daughter of the chief who is expected to marry the handsome (and boring) lead warrior who is leading the charge against the American invaders. But when she chooses to make her own choices and follows her heart, it leads her right to one of them... I dare you to watch this without shedding a tear at the end.
6) Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Disney, 2001
If you're reading this thinking, 'Pish posh, I've seen ALL of these films – what are you on about?!' – then this film could be the one that stumps you. Atlantis is one of only a few major Disney movies NOT to feature any singing or songs. Based on the legend of the lost city of Atlantis, Milo Thatch is a scientist who believes the place is real and that he can find it. If you're a fan of Avatar, you'll like this.
7) Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, DreamWorks, 2002
Animators took a different route with Spirit. Whilst in The Aristocats, 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book the animals all spoke, in Spirit they don't. The film is narrated by main character, but the horses don't actually speak to each other. Whilst it's very interesting, it can be tough to sit through a film where there's only really one person speaking, but it's a story well worth watching as it teaches children the morals of using animals – Spirit is a wild stallion who is captured and taken from his herd, then used as a war horse. Of course, it has a very happy ending!
8) Oliver and Company, Disney, 1988
Oh LORDY now this is an exemplary case of a remake. Oliver & Company is plain and simply the story of Oliver Twist – but with cats and dogs substituted in. And the occasional human. Featuring the vocal talents of Billy Joel, both speaking and singing, there are some bliddy catchy songs in there. But there are a few scary bits, so if you're watching with kids... Make sure they're ready to cover your eyes.
9) The Swan Princess, New Line Cinema, 1994
This largely unknown film is based on the story of Swan Lake by Tcahikovsky. It's all about Princess Odette who has been betrothed to Prince Derek since birth, but when her father is killed and she disappears, everyone assumes she's dead too. She's not – she's just been turned into a swan. But guess what's the only thing that can wake her up? Yep, true love's kiss. This film wasn't a HUGE success, but it's one of those that you can learn to love...
10) Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, DreamWorks, 2003
Featuring Brad Pitt, Michelle Pfeiffer and Catherine Zeta-Jones, this visually stunning film should have been a sure-fire success. Sadly, it had a massive $125 million loss which nearly bankrupted the company.
But don't let that put you off – it's an exciting and intriguing story of adventure and finding yourself and include some VERY weird and wonderful creatures. Oh, and there's a lovable dog. What more could you need?!
11) Brother Bear, Disney, 2003
If you/your sprog's a fan of Big Hero 6, it's essentially a pre-cursor to Brother Bear. Except with no gadgets or universities. And this time it's got bears and spirits. The main character, Sitka, is devastated when a bear kills his brother so he kills one in revenge. But he's not prepared for what happens next… Brother Bear teaches the importance of family, and not necessarily those you are related to – but the ones you pick for yourself.
12) The Road to El Dorado, DreamWorks, 2000
The Road to El Dorado is a story about two Spanish con artists who win a map to a secret island. Once there, they find the lost city of El Dorado – and the inhabitants (for reasons I just can't get my head around) mistake them for gods.
When they realise the power that comes with being gods and see all the gold that the islanders have, they decide to use it to their advantage. But there's a scary chap who has some sort of magic powers and it all goes a bit downhill for everyone involved. Of course, there's a happy ending.
13) The Iron Giant, Warner Bros., 1999
The Iron Giant is about a little boy who discovers a giant man made of iron (obvs) and befriends him. However, the United States Government are onto the giant, and fear he is a weapon sent from outer space. They're half right...
Featuring Vin Diesel as the voice of the eponymous Giant, Jennifer Aniston as the mum and Harry Connick Jr. as an artist/car dealer, it's surprising that this epic didn't take off as much as it could have.
14) Treasure Planet, Disney, 2002
This sci-fi reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson's famous classic Treasure Island may be a strange concept to wrap your head around, especially with creatures like cyborg pirates and alien-cat-women. Well, there's only one of those – voiced by Emma Thompson, no less.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt voices Jim Hawkins, a young lad who goes on an adventure to escape his upsetting memories of his dad leaving him without even saying goodbye. And, well, you know the rest.
15) The Rescuers, Disney, 1977
The only way you're not going to absolutely love this film is if you're terrified of mice. And even then, sweet little Bernard and Miss Bianca might win you round.
A terrified little orphan girl has been kidnapped by a nasty woman who keeps crocodiles as pets (I mean, come on), and who is looking to steal the world's biggest diamond. The little girl sends a message in a bottle in the hope of being rescued, which gets picked up by Miss Bianca and Bernard at the United Nations Mouse Division and they go on a quest to rescue her. It's heart-warming and thrilling in equal measures.
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