Instead of the eccentric seagull The Little Mermaid fans grew to love, Scuttle was rendered as a Northern gannet, a large seabird known for its preference for oceanic habitats and the ability to forage for food sources by plunging headfirst into the water.
The live-action remake of The Little Mermaid made changes to the character design of Scuttle, turning him into a Northern gannet instead of a seagull. The decision to change Scuttle's species was made in order to elevate Ariel's narrative and create a more impactful moment when she breaches the water's edge.
Scuttle is a major character in the 2023 live-action remake of Disney's 1989 film, The Little Mermaid. She is a Northern gannet (a type of sea diving bird) who is Ariel's best female friend.
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.
In case you're wondering why Scuttle (voiced by Awkwafina) is swimming, the bird is now a female northern gannet diving bird instead of a male seagull — but she kept the fork (or dinglehopper, as it's called).
THE LITTLE MERMAID 2 : RETURN TO THE SEA - Teaser Trailer (2024) Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer | Disney+
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.
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.
He says they were looking for the best actor for the role of any ethnicity who could not only sing but convey traits such as strength, passion, beauty, joy and intelligence, which they found in Bailey.
The live-action remake of The Little Mermaid made changes to the character design of Scuttle, turning him into a Northern gannet instead of a seagull. The decision to change Scuttle's species was made in order to elevate Ariel's narrative and create a more impactful moment when she breaches the water's edge.
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.
We learn that Eric, now played by John Hauer-King, is not a prince by birth— he was adopted by the king and queen. It's suggested that Eric's biological parents died in a shipwreck. We finally meet Prince Eric's mother. In the animated film, we never meet Eric's parents.
While some of Sebastian's features resemble a lobster, Sebastian is definitely a crab, as is stated in The Little Mermaid itself a few times. This includes the scene where the obsessed Chef Louis refers to Sebastian as a crab, and since he's a professional, he really should know.
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.
3. Ursula is a squid – not an octopus. Ursula's original design was inspired by many different sea creatures, including scorpion fish and manta rays, before director Ron Clements decided to base the character on an octopus.
flounder, any of numerous species of flatfishes belonging to the families Achiropsettidae, Pleuronectidae, Paralichthyidae, and Bothidae (order Pleuronectiformes). The flounder is morphogenetically unusual. When born it is bilaterally symmetrical, with an eye on each side, and it swims near the surface of the sea.
Scuttle is a seagull (gannet in the live action adaptation) and friend of Ariel. They appear in the film as an expert on human objects with whom Ariel consults about items she salvages, though their identifications consist of nonsense.
Awkwafina as Scuttle, a dimwitted northern gannet and a friend of Ariel's to whom she provides inaccurate descriptions of any human/surface world object Ariel finds. The character is portrayed as a female diving bird instead of a male seagull as in the original to feature the character in underwater scenes.
The reported box office result of The Little Mermaid 2023 remake is about $560 million. On paper, these numbers look good. The film grossed over $298 million domestically and more than $263 million internationally.
There are several instances when Eric's mother Queen Salina (Noma Dumezweni), who is Black and adopted him as a child when he washed up from the ocean, chastises him for his obvious love for beings that are considered other.
In Anderson's telling and the original Disney film, the mermaid possessed white skin. In Disney's upcoming live action version of the story, Ariel will be portrayed by black actress and singer Halle Bailey.
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.
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.
