Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action adaptation is a modern reimagining of the original 1989 animated film, incorporating a variety of contemporary twists. The film pays homage to Hans Christian Andersen, the author of the original Little Mermaid story, by opening with a quote from his tale. This quote underscores a central theme of the movie: the sense of difference and otherness between mermaids and humans1.
A significant change in this remake is the casting of Halle Bailey in the titular role of Ariel. This was met with some backlash from fans who were surprised by the deviation from the original animated character, particularly the decision to cast a woman of color as Ariel, and the realistic design of Ariel’s friends, Flounder and Scuttle1.
Indeed, the characters Scuttle, Sebastian, and Flounder underwent notable design changes in the live-action film. Scuttle is portrayed as a female northern gannet, a large white seabird, voiced by Awkwafina. Flounder now resembles a more realistic fish, and Sebastian is modelled after a tropical ghost crab, a departure from the animated film’s designs1.
The live-action remake has a more extended runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes compared to the original’s 1 hour and 23 minutes. This additional time is used for more in-depth character development and the integration of three new songs into the film’s storyline1.
One of the most significant changes involves Ariel’s voice, known as the “Siren Song” in the film. The movie emphasizes Ariel’s unique gift among the merpeople and the impact of her giving this gift to Prince Eric, a significant event in the film1.
In terms of physical portrayal, recreating Ariel’s iconic hair flip scene from the original animation presented a logistical challenge. Due to the weight of the water and the length of her hair, Halle Bailey required the assistance of a stuntman to execute the hair flip. The stuntman held her hair underwater and then threw it when she surfaced, creating the classic scene fans know from the original movie2.
Finally, a significant amount of the budget was allocated for Halle Bailey’s wig, which cost six figures. The style of the wig, which was particularly heavy and did not float underwater, added to the complexities of filming the underwater scenes2.
In conclusion, the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid made numerous changes from the original animated film, ranging from the redesign of Ariel and other main characters, the expanded storyline and character development, to the logistical challenges of recreating iconic scenes. These changes reflect the efforts to bring the magic of the original film to a new generation while respecting the classic tale’s roots.
