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's new design as a sea-diving bird allows Ariel to meet him in the water and obtain information about the surface, altering their routine meetings.

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.

Why did they make Scuttle female?

Diversity. Ariel had 3 male animal friends, so they needed to make one a girl. Same reason they made Jock a girl (Jacqueline aka Jacque) in the Lady & The Tramp live-action remake.

Why were Ariel's sisters names changed?

The names of Ariel's sisters in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid were changed, along with their role in the underwater world's royalty, thus expanding their roles even if slightly. Princess Mala (Karolina Conchet) represents Princess Attina from the animated movie, Triton's firstborn daughter.

Was Scuttle in the original Little Mermaid?

Scuttle is a seagull and friend of Ariel, voiced by Buddy Hackett in the 1989 film and 2000 sequel.

Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs - The Scuttlebutt (From "The Little Mermaid")

Is Scuttle a boy or girl 2023?

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).

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.

Why did they make Ariel black?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Is Sebastian a crab or a lobster?

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.

Was Scuttle always a girl?

He was originally voiced by Buddy Hackett. Now the live-action version of “The Little Mermaid”, Scuttle has gotten a bit of an upgrade. The most notable change is that Scuttle is no longer a seagull or male. She is now a black and white diving bird known as a Gannet.

Was Halle Berry in The Little Mermaid?

There were a lot of very confused people a few years ago when it was revealed that Halle Bailey had been cast as the live-action Ariel and people, who did not know Bailey from her music career, believed that Halle Berry had been cast in the role.

Why does Ariel look different?

10 Ariel's Appearance

The announcement that Halle Bailey would play Ariel was met with controversy from people who thought Ariel should remain white, and changing the race of Ariel to a Black woman was Disney's attempt at a political statement. Naysayers also thought Bailey wasn't suited for the role.

Is Ursula related to Ariel?

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.

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.

What happened to Ariel's mom Little mermaid?

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.

Did the Little Mermaid 2023 flop?

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.

Why was Ariel's hair not red?

And while creators of The Little Mermaid originally wanted Ariel to have blonde hair to stay in keeping with the fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, Splash's massive popularity was still too hot to ignore. So, in a bid to stand out from the crowd, an iconic change was given to the underwater princess.

Why is Prince Eric's mom black?

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.

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!

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."

Who is older Triton or Ursula?

Melissa McCarthy's version of Ursula is revealed to be King Triton's sister. The sea witch was banished and wanted power and revenge on her older brother, as well as his trident.