Movies

Disney: Use your iPads during ‘Little Mermaid’ rerelease

For most people, breaking out an iPad during a movie is taboo, but with the Second Screen Live app, Disney is encouraging that behavior.

Starting September 13, audiences will be invited to play around with their Apple tablets while watching the theatrical rerelease of “The Little Mermaid.” When used while viewing the 1989 animated classic, audiences will get the chance to interact with Ariel, Sebastian and the conniving Ursula.

The app, which is being released in conjunction with the movie’s return to theaters, will allow viewers to “become part of the story,” according to the official description on the App Store. Viewers of all ages can play games, compete with the rest of the audience and sing along with the movie’s beloved soundtrack.

For now the app only works with the iPad, but if it proves to be a success its hard to imagine it won’t spread to other platforms. The initial reaction has been overwhelmingly negative though, with comments having been disabled on the trailer which was posted to YouTube.

And for movie-goers who think this sounds like the worst idea ever, fret not, the film is only playing in 12 theaters across the country, including multiplexes in New York and New Jersey.