The Little Mermaid (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

Why did they make Ariel black? ›

Representation of an African American woman as a love interest and a beautiful being should become natural. This version of The Little Mermaid is great for young people because it allows them to better appreciate diversity and gain a better sense of the world.

With Halle Bailey making a major splash in the title role, Disney's live-action Little Mermaid ranks among the studio's most enjoyable reimaginings. Halle Bailey is outstanding in The Little Mermaid -- and most of the other new additions to this version of the story hit the mark as well.

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.

According to Showbiz Galore, she was reportedly paid $1.5 million to don the tail and seashells, though some news outlets reported slightly more modest earnings of $500,000. Despite the online backlash about casting a Black Ariel, this project made Halle Bailey a household name, especially among young Disney fans.

While the importance of casting the Little Mermaid as a Black woman has been commented on in numerous articles, the casting of the other roles is also worth a mention. The casting is beautifully “colour blind”, with the prince being white and his mother being Black (he is adopted).

In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish. As Ariel is half fish, she cannot be categorized by our ethnicities and races.

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.

It's very difficult to find, but it's there, and at the time Disney was very strict about maintaining its family-friendly image so the cover had to go. Yes, the original cover of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" VHS release in 1989 became controversial due to an allegedly inappropriate image.

Sebastian is a fictional character who appears in Disney's "The Little Mermaid", who serves as the court composer for King Triton's orchestra in the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, but one question remains, is Sebastian a lobster or a crab? Well, he is in fact, a red Jamaican crab.

Negative reactions against the movie due to the casting of Halle Bailey, a Black actress for the titular role, a mermaid and princess of the ocean named Ariel, showed concerning signs of racism and sexism that stem from a preference for white skin and an emphasis on the importance of looks in women.

How old was Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid? ›

Filming “The Little Mermaid” was a metamorphic experience for Bailey, who was 18 when she auditioned and 21 when she finished production. “When I moved away to London I learned so much about myself,” she says.

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.

Halle Lynn Bailey (born March 27, 2000) is an American singer and actress. She is best known for portraying Ariel in the 2023 live-action film The Little Mermaid.

But now it seems that Chloe will no longer play Ariel as she told Hollywood Reporter that she pulled out of the role. She said she pulled out of all upcoming productions mostly because she just wants a break. “I'm realising that I can slow down.” She said.

Physical appearance. Ariel is a beautiful mermaid with a curvaceous figure, fair skin, red lips, cheeky red hair, and large, aqua blue eyes.

In the original 1989 Disney animated classic, Ariel's character is White, with straight red hair. But as Murphy and other young Black and brown girls head to theaters this weekend to see “The Little Mermaid,” they'll find an Ariel that is very much a reflection of themselves.

The film celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and Disney is releasing a new Disney Signature Collection Blu-ray packed with bonus features in honor of the milestone. “I remember the first thumbnail sketches,” Benson tells EW of the first iterations of Ariel. “She had blonde hair.

The sea-green color of Ariel's mermaid tail was a hue specially mixed by the Disney paint lab; the color was named "Ariel" after the character. The choice of red as Ariel's hair color was the subject of dispute between the filmmakers and studio executives who wanted the character to have blonde hair.