‘The Little Mermaid’ Returns To Theaters, Disney Says Bring Your iPads

When Disney’s The Little Mermaid returns to theaters, the animated classic will feature a second screen experience designed to work with iPads.

The quickest way to irritate a hardcore moviegoer is to whip out your electronic device while the movie is playing. Instead of discouraging this behavior, the folks at Disney are asking families to bring them along for the cinematic ride.

Fans who venture out to see The Little Mermaid on the big screen might be treated to an ocean of iPads. Since people can download an app that allows them to play games and chat with others who are also watching the movie, quite a few kids will be indulging in the experience.

In order to spread the word about The Little Mermaid: Second Screen Live, Disney has released a new trailer that explores what moviegoers will be able to do during the feature. As the narrator suggests, going to the cinema has “never been so much fun.”

Should this experiment prove fruitful, other studios will likely offer the same experience during their own films. Anyone who has been seated next to a habitual texter during a theatrical screening understands that this could end up becoming a very bad idea.

One person who is probably a little disappointed with Disney’s decision is First Showing blogger Alex Billington. The writer boldly called 911 during a press screening at the Toronto International Film Festival because someone was on their phone.

Not surprisingly, the dispatcher thought the call was hilarious. While others sympathized with Billington’s plight, others believed he was just an “attention-starved stooge” who shouldn’t have abused emergency services in such a manner.

You can check Disney’s recently-released trailer below.

Are you planning to check out The Little Mermaid when it returns to theaters on September 13? Will you bring your iPad to the cinema?

[Image via Walt Disney Pictures]