The original fairy tale of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen is widely believed to be set in Denmark, as Andersen was Danish and there is a famous Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen symbolizing the story's heritage. The tale mainly takes place in three locations: the underwater kingdom, the sea witch's dwelling, and the prince's palace, all presumably near Denmark in the mid-1800s
. However, the setting of Disney's animated The Little Mermaid film is more ambiguous and appears to be inspired by Mediterranean or Caribbean aesthetics rather than Denmark. The prince's castle and town have Mediterranean architectural features, tropical flora like palm trees and flamingos, which do not align with Denmark's climate. This suggests the Disney version is set in a fictional kingdom resembling a Mediterranean island
. The 2023 live-action Disney remake was filmed primarily in Sardinia, Italy, and Pinewood Studios in England. The Sardinian coastal villages of Santa Teresa di Gallura and Castelsardo served as the outdoor filming locations, standing in for the prince's kingdom, while Pinewood Studios provided water stages and interior sets. The film's fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica and the coastal town are depicted with CGI, and the Mediterranean island of Sardinia was used to represent the coastal setting, giving it a Caribbean feel despite no actual Caribbean filming
Summary:
- Original story setting: Denmark, mid-1800s, underwater kingdom near Denmark
- Disney animated film setting: Fictional kingdom inspired by Mediterranean/coastal tropical aesthetics, not Denmark
- 2023 live-action film setting: Filmed in Sardinia, Italy (Mediterranean coast) and Pinewood Studios, England; fictional kingdom depicted with CGI
