Disney has announced The Little Mermaid: Second Screen Live exclusively for theaters, along with an accompanying iPad app to use while viewing the film, reports /Film. The re-release of the popular 1989 film includes special sections that sync with and encourage the use of iPads among audience members to play games, sing along, and interact with the various characters.


Bring your iPad to the movie theater and experience special event screenings of "The Little Mermaid" on the big screen like never before! It's "Disney Second Screen Live: The Little Mermaid," where you become part of the story. Interact with Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder. Compete with the audience as you play games, sing-along, and collect hidden treasure. But watch out for Ursula, who just might try to steal your points. It just got better, down where it's wetter, with "Disney Second Screen Live: The Little Mermaid."

Disney and Apple have had a close relationship over the years, with Steve Jobs having taken a seat on Disney's board of directors and become the company's largest individual shareholder when Disney acquired Pixar in 2006. Disney president and CEO Bob Iger joined Apple's board in late 2011 after Jobs' death.

The Little Mermaid: Second Screen Live will be shown in select theaters starting September 20th. Its accompanying app, Second Screen Live: The Little Mermaid is a free download for the iPad and is available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

davidwarren Avatar
162 months ago
This would be cool in your house. Not so much at the movie theater.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MordechaiCarver Avatar
162 months ago
I guess I can see this being OK for kids to keep them occupied, but if this "second screen" is going to be a trend for grown-up movies, then count me out. I mean, do they want us to look at the screen or our iPad? What happens when something's going on in the movie and you miss it because you were looking at something on your iPad? It just takes away the whole submersive element to going to a movie theater and watching a movie. Every time you look away from a movie screen you disassociate yourself from the false reality that the movie is supposed to present.

IMHO this is a sad road to start going down.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gmcalpin Avatar
162 months ago
omg id be so pissed. its already driving me bonkers when people check their phone with those bright screens at the movies
I hate this idea as much as the next movie buff — and by hate, I mean "despise with every fiber of my being," but if you go to a screening specifically billed as a "Second Screen Live" screening and get pissed about it, that's kinda your fault, you know?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
162 months ago
omg id be so pissed. its already driving me bonkers when people check their phone with those bright screens at the movies
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gmcalpin Avatar
162 months ago
Uhm... If you want to see a movie in the theater, you want that.
Perhaps you cannot read, but "uhm…" these are special event screenings specifically for this "Second Screen" nonsense. Anybody who goes into one of these special screenings and complains that there are people using their iPads in these special screenings is an idiot.

You don't want people whipping out their iPads? Don't go to these screenings.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baumi Avatar
162 months ago
Wtf?

"Hey, you can distract yourself from the movie you paid to watch by playing iPad games instead!"

What a crappy idea.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...