The Little Mermaid differences: 9 major changes between the remake and animated original
Over 30 years later, we’re getting ready to head under the sea once more. The Little Mermaid live-action remake is now in cinemas and, as is par for the course with Disney’s reinventions of animated classics, a lot has changed.
From new songs to completely original characters, there are differences aplenty in the Rob Marshall-directed musical – including ones that may not be obvious if you haven’t caught Ariel’s 1989 aquatic adventure in some time.
So, join us as we recount the different thrills, spills, and gills throughout The Little Mermaid’s bumper 135-minute runtime (almost a full hour longer than the original if you’re keeping count). Here are the nine major changes between the live-action remake and the animated original.
Spoilers for The Little Mermaid follow.
While all the classics, mercifully, remain intact, there are three new songs composed by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The first is Eric’s emotionally wrought number ‘Wild Uncharted Waters’, which he sings after being rescued from the shipwreck by Ariel.
The second new song is ‘For the First Time’. Arguably The Little Mermaid’s best original track, this is an interior monologue sung by Halle Bailey’s Ariel after she loses her voice and makes her way on land and through the kingdom.
The third, ‘Scuttlebutt’, is a cutesy rap by Awkwafina’s Scuttle – who informs Sebastian that Eric is set to propose to a mysterious new woman.
The quick performance ‘Daughters of Triton’ and the French chef’s ‘Les Poissons’ song are both cut from the remake.
Yes, there’s a completely new character in the above land that changes a fair chunk of the story’s dynamic.
Queen Selina, played by Noma Dumezweni, is the ruler of the main kingdom seen in The Little
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