According to animator Rob Minkoff, Ursula was originally described in the script as a Joan Collins–like figure, resulting in character designs that depicted a thin, bony woman with lionfish- or manta ray–inspired features.
Aquino, Ursula's original design was inspired by several different sea creatures, including manta rays and scorpion fish, before Clements finally decided to base the character on an octopus; her number of tentacles was reduced from eight to six for financial reasons.
In the past, Ursula was a resident of King Triton's palace, before being banished and exiled by order of the king. Scorned, she has since vowed to exact vengeance by harnessing the power of the king's trident and installing herself as ruler of all the ocean.
But in a desire to re-market these ladies to a chic clientele, it appears that they decided to shave more than a few pounds off of Ursula the Sea Witch and Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts. Because in order to be fashionable, you must be thin.
The original character in the 1989 movie was inspired by the triple threat drag queen, actor, and singer Divine, a fact that was mere speculation at first, but has since been confirmed by those involved with the film. Divine catapulted to cult fame after appearing in Pink Flamingos, John Waters' filthy 1972 comedy.
Disney Villain Ursula's True Origin Story Isn't What You Think
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.
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.
I Think About This a Lot: Ursula Applying Red Lipstick in The Little Mermaid. Sealed With a Kiss is a series of stories devoted to the transformations that come with a swipe of lipstick.
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!
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.
Ariel makes this deal because she falls in love with Prince Eric and desires to be with him. Ursula specifically targets Ariel because she sees an opportunity to exploit her curiosity about the human world and her fascination with Prince Eric.
Queen Athena was the wife of King Triton, and the mother of Ariel and her six older sisters. She was the Queen of Atlantica, and beloved by her family and subjects.
Lettie is finally able to do away with Ursula when she learns the monster's real name—Skarthatch of the Keep—and what Ursula is afraid of: the hunger birds. Ursula reappears briefly after the hunger birds eat her to torment the narrator, making him feel friendless and alone.
During the song "Poor Unfortunate Souls", Ursula asks Ariel for her voice, saying that men only want silent and obedient women, but secretly in an attempt to make sure Eric won't be able to recognize her or fall in love with her, to which Ariel agrees, and signs a contract.
Pat Carroll wasn't the first choice for the voice of Ursula. The studio wanted "Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur to voice the sea witch, according to Allan Neuwirth's book "Makin' Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows and Movies." But apparently, Arthur's agent wasn't a fan of the idea.
her friends are eels.” Ursula is completely cut off from her family as a result of Triton banishing her, and her anger at her circumstances only grows over time. She has no one to talk to or confide in other than her minions.
Rob Minkoff, the original movie's animator, told Vogue that it seemed like a “funny and quirky idea” to “take (Ursula) and treat her more like a drag queen.” Named the “Drag Queen of the Century” by People Magazine in 1988, Divine is known for starring in John Waters' movies “Pink Flamingos” and “Hairspray.”
She harbors resentment towards Triton for banishing her from the kingdom and seeks to overthrow him and take his place as the ruler. Ursula's actions are driven by her thirst for power and her belief that she deserves to be in control.
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 The Little Mermaid, the chef scene from the animated version. wasn't included in the live action remake. This is because marine animals. like founder and Sebastian are photorealistic, and it would have been too much to see them.
Ariel was offered by Ursula to become a human for three days and would become human permanently if she shares a kiss of true love with Eric, but will turn back into a mermaid and be bound to Ursula for eternity if she fails to kiss Eric.
The video goes on to talk about how this original concept for Ariel was too close to the Splash mermaid and the designers wanted to differentiate Ariel, so her red hair was born. We can't imagine Ariel without her red hair, but not everyone felt the same way back in the 80s.
'” “She's not an octopus, she's a squid. … She has six tentacles instead of eight.” The cephalopod that Ursula embodies may be debatable, but her legacy is undeniable.
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.
