[ad_1]
The Little Mermaid star Jonah Hauer-King explains a change in Disney’s latest live-action remake that actually improves the budding romance between Prince Eric and Ariel. Directed by Rob Marshall, The Little Mermaid serves as a live-action retelling of Disney’s 1989 animated classic of the same name. The film stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, a mermaid who longs for a life beyond the sea and who eventually falls in love with Eric, a human.
In a recent interview with Collider, Hauer-King gives insight into one change in The Little Mermaid that deepens the bond between Ariel and Eric. Crucially, he reveals, the remake builds Ariel and Eric’s romance on a foundation of friendship. Check out Hauer-King’s full explanation below when asked about his favorite new addition to the film:
“The friendship. Disney romances are always filled with that instinctive attraction to one another. We all wanna see that. But I think what was fun about this was looking at Ariel and Eric as two people who are kindred spirits that are a little bit restless, and who were behind the four walls of their respective castles, very much looking outwards and not in. What was nice about that was that it meant their relationship feels really earned.
“They both felt like they were teaching each other things. They were excited and fascinated by each other’s worlds, although they didn’t actually know it until the end. That was really lovely. It’s a really good message for what it means to be in love and what it means to be in a relationship, which is ultimately tied to friendship. That’s the fundamental thing of it. That’s why it lasts, and that’s what makes it special. So, that was really fun to explore, and it was easy because Halle is a riot, so we got on fine.”
The Little Mermaid’s Changes Are For The Best
Leaning into this idea of friendship and that Ariel and Eric really are kindred spirits, The Little Mermaid remake makes several changes that ultimately deepen the story and make it feel more contemporary. Some of The Little Mermaid‘s songs were changed or updated, contributing to this more modern dynamic. “Kiss the Girl,” for example, had some lyrics changed to remove aspects that are now considered outdated or insensitive, with the song now ultimately giving Ariel more agency and adding a new layer to her relationship with Eric.
Before the film was released, Bailey herself spoke about one of the fundamental changes that The Little Mermaid would be making with regard to her character. In the original, Ariel is more heavily motivated to trade her voice for human legs by her desire for Eric, but the remake evolves this slightly. Now, Ariel, like Eric, yearns for exploration, adventure, and freedom, but not just because she’s enamored by a member of the opposite sex.
While not all of The Little Mermaid‘s changes will be popular with all audiences, the film, as of this writing, enjoys an impressive 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ response to the movie is a little more mixed but, overall, it seems like the remake has managed to mostly strike a balance between honoring what made the animated original such a beloved classic while also blazing some exciting new ground. The dynamic between Ariel and Eric is a crucial part of The Little Mermaid‘s story, and building it more on friendship is evidently a strong change.
Source: Collider
[ad_2]
Source link
