In the original story, The Little Mermaid is motivated by a fear of death and desires a soul and an afterlife in addition to love. The original Little Mermaid story is much darker and violent than Disney's version, with the sea witch brutally cutting out the mermaid's tongue in exchange for legs.

Is the real Little Mermaid story dark?

One of the ways that The Little Mermaid's original story is dark compared to the Disney adaptation is that Hans Christian Andersen's story pays particular attention to the souls and the potential afterlife of the individuals in the story.

What's the real story behind The Little Mermaid?

While the original tale was likely influenced by folklore about mermaids and sirens, scholars have speculated that "The Little Mermaid" was also inspired by the author's own life, as some events in the story parallel his experiences with navigating family pressures, discovering his true identity, and pursuing love.

What is the dark theory of The Little Mermaid?

Ariel's Mother Was Killed By Pirates

The theory becomes darker with the suggestion that Captain Hook killed Ariel's mother, Athena. In The Little Mermaid II, Ariel has a flashback to her mother's death, when Ariel and her sisters were just children.

Why is The Little Mermaid movie so dark?

And that brings us to the sad justification - it's cheaper. While lighting itself isn't all that expensive, darkness can be used to hide a lot of things. Halle Bailey is not actually a mermaid, and so having the scenes be darker makes it easier to disguise the CGI work.

The Messed Up Origins of The Little Mermaid | Disney Explained - Jon Solo

Was Ariel Black in the original Little Mermaid?

Since the animated feature film had a white mermaid as Ariel, some people are angry that Disney has gone with a black actress in the live-action. Some people also believe that Hans Christian Andersen described the Little mermaid as a white mermaid in his book. Therefore, Disney should have cast a white actress instead.

When did The Little Mermaid come out black?

It was released theatrically on May 26, 2023, in the United States by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. A sing-along edition of the film was released in theaters on August 25, 2023.

What do Ariel's sisters represent?

There's long since been a fan theory that Ariel and her sisters represent bodies of water from each of the Seven Seas. While the sisters mostly stay in their palace, it makes more sense to have them frequently travel to, if not live in, the oceans they represent.

Is Ariel a siren theory?

So according to a theory, Ariel is actually not a mermaid, but a Siren. And sirens have the ability to enchant people. and risk their lives for them. And Eric is definitely willing to risk a lot.

Who was the black mermaid in The Little Mermaid?

Last year, when Disney announced they cast Halle Bailey, a Black singer and actress, to play Ariel, a mermaid-turned-princess in their live-action musical rendition of The Little Mermaid, the Black community started bracing for impact.

What happened to Ariel's mom?

While it is known that her mother perished, there is no story attached to the event. However, much later, in 2008, an animated The Little Mermaid prequel revealed that Ariel's mother was crushed by a pirate ship during an altercation between humans and merpeople.

What is the real ending to The Little Mermaid?

The climax of the remake closely follows the original 1989 animated film, with Ariel ultimately defeating Ursula. The film ends with Ariel and Eric getting married and embarking on a new adventure together, exploring uncharted waters on their own ship.

Why did Ariel turn into sea foam?

A tragic love story

She has 3 days to receive his passionate kiss so she can transform into a human being. If she fails to be kissed, she will turn into sea foam. The prince is captivated by her appearance but fails to recognize her - he only remembers being saved by a girl with a magical voice.

Is The Little Mermaid a Gothic story?

Even before we examine Ariel's audacious agencies, her potential villainy is immediately obvious in her status as a siren, a paranormal being. Unlike in other Disney Princess movies, where the hero and heroine must overcome gothic forces in order to reach their resolution, this princess is part of that gothic world.

Why did they change the ending of Little Mermaid?

The new movie also gives Ariel more control over her own narrative. Rather than have Eric save the day by finishing off Ursula, it's Ariel who takes control of her own story and tries to undo the mistakes she made bargaining with the sea witch. Moreover, it reinforces Ariel's most precious trait: her curiosity.

Did they change the story of Little Mermaid?

Most of the plot remains the same: a curious, adventurous mermaid princess wants nothing more than to become human and explore the world above. But some mostly minor tweaks do remain: the villain becomes an octopus rather than a squid, a new royal character enters the picture, and a few new musical numbers crop up.

Why is Ursula not a mermaid?

Rather, Ursula's appearance is radically different from her family, and she sports tentacles that look like a permanent black dress. It's possible Ursula is not a mermaid in appearance because she and Triton did not have the same mother or father. If they're half siblings, Ursula's tentacles make more sense.

Is Ariel The Little Mermaid autistic?

Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” has been headcanoned as autistic, because no one who sings a song about wanting to not just learn about an interest, but literally be in that world, is neurotypical.

Why is Ursula an octopus?

“There's so much you can do with tentacles. They give a creepy feeling,” supervising animator Ruben Aquino told Premiere magazine in 1989, adding the team ultimately decided to make her look like an octopus.

What is Ariel's ethnicity?

The movie is loosely based on the fairy tale, so Disney has the freedom to give Ariel any skin color they want. In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish.

Are Ursula and Triton siblings?

In this novel, Ursula is King Triton's younger sister who was betrayed by him as a child for choosing a tentacled form instead of a mermaid's tail, and grew up as a human in the town of Ipswich with an adoptive human father.

Is Scuttle a girl or boy?

Scuttle is not only changed from male to female but is also now a diving bird instead of a seagull. "This was done specifically so that Ariel would only meet Scuttle underwater, because, at the start of our story, Ariel has never dared go above the surface," director Rob Marshall said in production notes.

Why did Disney make Ariel black?

On the significance of casting a Black actress as Ariel

Sherri Hope Culver: To have a Disney character who is not just a princess but a live-action, real flesh and blood person that children can be inspired by is important. This is because people of color are less likely to see themselves reflected in the media.

What color skin did The Little Mermaid have?

Ariel, is a fictional character, with no defined skin color in her original material. She was originally written by a Danish author in the 1800s. She has been portrayed in ballet and movies by Asian, Russian, and mixed-race individuals, her cartoon depictions are typically pale.