What is the backlash of The Little Mermaid?

Chinese state media and netizens have condemned the casting of Halle Bailey, who is Black, as Princess Ariel – echoing some people in the United States who have expressed anger that the Atlanta-born actress does not resemble the light-skinned character of the 1989 animated film or the 1837 fairy tale by Hans Christian ...
Takedown request View complete answer on aljazeera.com

Why is Little Mermaid considered woke?

The live-action adaptation has already drawn criticism for being “too woke.” Not only were lyrics changed from classic songs, but the casting of Halle Bailey has drawn ire and racist comments from across the internet, which Bailey was, unfortunately, prepared for.
Takedown request View complete answer on insidethemagic.net

What critics are saying about the Little Mermaid 2023?

The Little Mermaid (2023) is a mediocre film readaptation that pays tribute to the original film while also adding some new twists and depth. It is not perfect or groundbreaking, but it is good and nostalgic. However, it could have been better if it had followed the same aspects of the original.
Takedown request View complete answer on imdb.com

Why was Scuttle gender swapped?

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.
Takedown request View complete answer on theweek.com

How much did Halle Bailey get paid for The Little Mermaid?

It's believed that Bailey made about $1.5 million for her role as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, but that number could increase depending on how well the film performs opening weekend and beyond.
Takedown request View complete answer on parade.com

’The Little Mermaid’ star Halle Bailey opens up about racist backlash l GMA

What did Melissa McCarthy get paid for Little Mermaid?

Melissa McCarthy, who played the devious Ursula in the live-action, made $500,000 for her work in the film. Other cast members received more modest salaries for their supporting roles.
Takedown request View complete answer on collider.com

Why did Disney choose Halle to be Ariel?

"When I chose Halle for the role, it was literally because she was the best person for the role," Marshall says. "It's about who claims a role, who brings a role to life in a way you could never have imagined."
Takedown request View complete answer on abc.net.au

Are Ursula and Triton siblings?

Ursula was played by Melissa McCarthy in the 2023 live action remake of The Little Mermaid, directed by Rob Marshall. In this version, like with the Broadway musical, Ursula is the estranged younger sister of King Triton (played by Javier Bardem), thus making her the paternal aunt to Ariel and her sisters in this film.
Takedown request View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

Why did they change the name of Ariel's sisters?

So, why the change? One theory is that each of Ariel's sisters represents different oceans that are home to various cultures and ethnicities. It's pretty problematic to have mermaids who all look the same representing such an expansive underwater world.
Takedown request View complete answer on regmovies.com

Who killed Ursula in the original Little Mermaid?

Ariel kills the Sea Witch at the end of the movie.

At the end of the 1989 animated film, Eric saves the day and kills Ursula. But in the new movie, Ariel is no longer the damsel in distress. She takes matters into her own hands and kills Ursula herself.
Takedown request View complete answer on audible.com

Why did the Little Mermaid get bad reviews?

Some of the complaints took issue with the CGI displayed in the live-action remake of the beloved 1989 animated movie for being confusing and aesthetically unappealing at times. Some viewers weren't impressed with the new songs and the tweaks to some old ones.
Takedown request View complete answer on qz.com

Why don't people like The New Little Mermaid?

One major criticism of the 2023 version of The Little Mermaid is that it is simply too long. The new film clocks in at 2 hours and 15 minutes, about 50 minutes longer than the original. While the live-action remake uses this time to flesh out certain characters, not all of its extended runtime is used wisely.
Takedown request View complete answer on cbr.com

What is the mental illness in The Little Mermaid?

In the movie The Little Mermaid (Clements & Musker, 1989), Ariel displays symptoms of disposophobia, which is defined as the fear of getting rid of things.
Takedown request View complete answer on psichi.org

Is Ursula a drag queen?

Ursula was initially going to resemble Joan Collins, however, basing the character on Divine made much more sense. "It just seemed like a funny and quirky idea," Minkoff added, "to take [Ursula] and treat her more like a drag queen."
Takedown request View complete answer on eonline.com

What ethnicity is Ariel the mermaid?

Disney's Ariel is not the same as Anderson's little mermaid. 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.
Takedown request View complete answer on lahsgriffingazette.com

Was Ariel's mother a mermaid?

Queen Athena is shown to be a stunningly beautiful and attractive mermaid with long, red hair tied in a partial ponytail, green eyes, and an aqua tail. Of all her daughters, her youngest, Ariel, resembles her the most.
Takedown request View complete answer on little-mermaid.fandom.com

Why is Ursula not a mermaid?

There, before Ursula is fully evil, she actually chooses to have octopus tentacles instead of the usual fishtails that mermaids have, and Triton betrays her because of her choice, banishing her from the kingdom.
Takedown request View complete answer on screenrant.com

Is Ariel's daughter half mermaid?

The backstory of Ariel and Eric's daughter. Let's break. down the tale of a princess who was half human and. half mermaid: the adventurous, kind, and brave.
Takedown request View complete answer on facebook.com

What happened to Ariel's mother?

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.
Takedown request View complete answer on screenrant.com

Is Ursula really Ariel's Aunt?

In the animated film, Ursula was a villain who enjoyed messing with people and getting what she wanted. In The Little Mermaid live-action, however, Ursula's backstory gets an adjustment — she is upgraded to Triton's sister and Ariel's aunt, making her revenge and motivations all the more sinister.
Takedown request View complete answer on screenrant.com

Did Ursula have a child?

Description. Meet Uma, fierce leader of the high seas, daughter of Ursula, the sea witch, and the newest villainess-in-training in Disney's Descendants 2!
Takedown request View complete answer on amazon.com

Why did they cast Ariel as 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.
Takedown request View complete answer on news.temple.edu

Is Ariel the first black Disney Princess?

In Disney's nearly 100-year history, there has been only one Black Disney princess — Princess Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog,” a 2009 animated feature starring Anika Noni Rose.
Takedown request View complete answer on nytimes.com