‘There is some rapping’ Alan Menken talks working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on The Little Mermaid

Alan Menken has teased some details about his work with Lin-Manuel Miranda on The Little Mermaid’s live action remake.

The pair have teamed up on the new adaptation, writing new songs to accompany those that featured in the original animation.

In a new interview with the eleven theatre podcast, Menken shared what we can expect from the collaboration.

He revealed: “There is some rapping in it and I really can’t take much credit for the rap aspect of it. Yeah, there’s some rapping in it, there’s some very Menken songs, there’s some very Miranda songs. But it’s all the blend of Menken-Miranda.

“I love him, I love working with him. I’m glad we had the opportunity to do that and he’s also a producer on the movie but Lin juggles a lot of things, as I do, so we will have occasional contact. Right now it’s in the hands of the amazing Rob Marshall and as we speak they are in London right now filming.”

Menken also praised Halle Bailey who has been cast in the title role.

He enthused: “Oh my gosh, she is adorable and so talented. I met Halle at the recording sessions.

“I did have to be educated in terms of what she and her sister do together, which is incredible. She is an amazing talent, a beautiful girl, and I got to meet her family.”

Alongside Bailey, the cast of the live-action Little Mermaid remake will include Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Melissa McCarthy as sea witch Ursula and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric. Further casting includes Jacob Tremblay as Flounder and Awkwafina is set to play seagull Scuttle.

A release date for the film is to be confirmed.