Live-Action The Little Mermaid

[DarthSkywalker]

Nah.

What’s dumb is being mad that a fictional character is played by someone black and tons of people making a big deal out of it when it’s damn near 2020.

As someone brown, misses Obama, and is far too liberal for most, it's dumb. Are there racist getting mad to get mad? Yep. But the idea that it is everyone who is upset is a racist is dumb.

 

[Silvermoth]

Moana isn't appearing in the movie though.

I would like a live action adaptation of Moana though not keen in a cross over with The Little Mermaid, unless they exist in the same universe as Watson's Beauty and the Beast, James' Cinderella and Yifei's Mulan.

That’s the idea, that they all share the same universe. That would be amazing. And we don’t know if Moana is appearing I was just saying it would be cool to see a Nick furyesque cameo from her. They can even get the original voice actress because she looks so much like her character.

I wonder if they will film a bit in Denmark? Some of the architecture is very danish in the film. That would be a cool thing to see. Copenhagen is beautiful

 

[B]

And they were thoroughly embarrassed. This should tell us something.

Why exactly would there be any reason for them to feel embarrassment? Those that preferred Bond to look more traditional & in line with how he's previously looked, will still feel this way even if they liked or accepted Daniel Craig in the role.

 

[kaypain]

Is the recreational outrage still going?

 

[B]

Interesting...China internet is none too pleased. China is obviously a huge market for film. Will Disney blink? Likely not, but it will be interesting to see those China numbers.

Chinese filmgoers unhappy with Disney’s Ariel casting

By will they blink do you mean re-cast? They shouldn't consider that even in the slightest. They've made a decision, have the balls to stick to it.

 

[writer0327]

By will they blink do you mean re-cast? They shouldn't consider that even in the slightest. They've made a decision, have the balls to stick to it.

Yeah I don't think they will recast either. The outrage would be magnified by 100 if that happened.

But I didn't realize the Little Mermaid was such an icon in China, so this possibly might hurt the Chinese box office if they aren't on board. I'm sure Disney doesn't care, but they are dragging these characters out of mothballs for the sole purpose of making money, so I wonder if they considered the Chinese market before casting the role.

 

[Primal Slayer]

They should just go the way of TLM broadway and Brandy/Cinderella movie....cast different ethnicity's if someone fits the role. Triton was black in TLM broadway show.

 

[Shuri]

Interesting...China internet is none too pleased. China is obviously a huge market for film. Will Disney blink? Likely not, but it will be interesting to see those China numbers.

Chinese filmgoers unhappy with Disney’s Ariel casting

It's not like Aladdin needed China to be successful and neither did Black Panther. China can take several seats.

 

[Shuri]

 

[writer0327]

It's not like Aladdin needed China to be successful and neither did Black Panther. China can take several seats.

I doubt Disney agrees with the "Who needs China's money anyway?" thought process. But its an interesting sidenote to this casting decision as film studios are more globally minded now. This particular character and story are enormously popular in China, they even have a Hans Christian Andersen theme park in Shanghai. In an online poll, the casting choice got 60,000 downvotes and only 5,000 upvotes. That's significant.

 

[jmc]

The idea Disney doesn't want China's money is a bit ridiculous given the woeful attempts to make Star Wars work over there.

 

[Schlosser85]

Anyone who thinks Disney doesn't want China's money is woefully naive. Of course Disney wants China's money, it's a huge marketplace.

 

[Shuri]

I'm sure Disney cares about China. I never mentioned Disney. Fact is Aladdin is probably going to make a billion and it only made about 50m in China. Black Panther made 1.2 b without China. They were both huge success even without what they made in China. So if this movie is well received everywhere else except for China it's going to be successful. Mary Poppins and Dumbo live action had no controversy and still flopped. In fact I'm sure this movie is going to make more than it would have without the controversy. Some that never would have seen it, will watch it to support Halle and even most of those complaining are still going to watch it just to hate on it. . They never learnt their lesson from Captain Marvel.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

I'm sure Disney cares about China. I never mentioned Disney. Fact is Aladdin is probably going to make a billion and it only made about 50m in China. Black Panther made 1.2 b without China. They were both huge success even without what they made in China. So if this movie is well received everywhere else except for China it's going to be successful. Mary Poppins and Dumbo live action had no controversy and still flopped. In fact I'm sure this movie is going to make more than it would have without the controversy. Some that never would have seen it, will watch it to support Halle and even most of those complaining are still going to watch it just to hate on it. . They never learnt their lesson from Captain Marvel.

Or Disney's dumb luck will finally catch up and this is the movie that flops.

 

[Schlosser85]

Or Disney's dumb luck will finally catch up and this is the movie that flops.

Dumbo and Mary Poppins already flopped.

 

[B]

Dumbo & Mary Poppins, while classics in their own right, are a tier below the likes of The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Jungle Book, Beauty & The Beast & Aladdin IMO, which have all seen/will see live-action remakes also.

 

[Teelie]

I see why there are people screaming on the internet about this. The second they picked a non-redheaded black girl to be the mermaid, they were going to get hell for it. She isn't the traditional depiction. People always hate that when someone/thing is changed in a way they aren't expecting it. But they usually end up forgetting that if the change is good. The diehards don't, but everyone else does.

Even if they cast a white actress but not redheaded there would be *****ing over this. Obviously less of it, but it would still be complaining over a fictional character who has had one major appearance, ever. This is not even a James Bond or Superman kind of character. She had one major movie (and several forgettable DTV sequels) so there is no real history behind her being a white, redheaded mermaid.

This movie can flop and be terrible without ever having anything to do with her being black just as it can be a good, successful movie for the same reason. The movie is going to succeed or fail because of it's quality, not because of it's cast.

I guess Disney decided it was time to clear some of it's red from the ledgers by casting a wider net, to coin a paraphrase from another Disney property.

 

[Motown Marvel]

I love the sentiment "just because they're mad about the race of a fictional character doesn't make them racist".

 

[Fincher]

but it would still be complaining over a fictional character who has had one major appearance, ever. This is not even a James Bond or Superman kind of character. She had one major movie (and several forgettable DTV sequels) so there is no real history behind her being a white, redheaded mermaid.

Well, with one major appearance under her belt, Ariel ranks high among my favorite movie characters, and a large part of that is her design. That matters more to me than being in a lot of stuff (and it's not like I don't see her outside of the movies). I mean, not once during a James Bond movie did I go, "Wow, check out that hair, it's so f*****g iconic. You work that hair, you brown-haired stallion, you." Obviously, results may vary.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

I don't really have an opinion about this casting. But my girlfriend, who is a huge fan of The Little Mermaid, really dislike this choice because Halle Bailey doesn't fit Ariel at all.

And I mean everyone who's upset doesn't have to be racist.

Like for me, I would be disappointed if they cast a white actor for Mushu in the Mulan's live action (sadly Mushu's a goner). And I wouldn't watch a Princess and The Frog's live action with Tiana played by a white actress.
So I understand if some people wants Ariel to be played by a white actress. However I never watched TLM so I don't care if she's black or white. I'm just gonna watch the live action. She could be a solid Ariel on her own, but for the people that are too attached to the original Ariel I can see why they're upset.

 

[Motown Marvel]

I don't really have an opinion about this casting. But my girlfriend, who is a huge fan of The Little Mermaid, really dislike this choice because Halle Bailey doesn't fit Ariel at all.

And I mean everyone who's upset doesn't have to be racist.

Like for me, I would be disappointed if they cast a white actor for Mushu in the Mulan's live action (sadly Mushu's a goner). And I wouldn't watch a Princess and The Frog's live action with Tiana played by a white actress.
So I understand if some people wants Ariel to be played by a white actress. However I never watched TLM so I don't care if she's black or white. I'm just gonna watch the live action. She could be a solid Ariel on her own, but for the people that are too attached to the original Ariel I can see why they're upset.

Except there is a big difference when changing a white character to a character of color and changing a character of color to a white character. There is, and never has been, a shortage of white people being represented in media. But the racism of our culture has been responsible for a horrible under representation of colored characters. So when you change a character of color to white, you are decidedly making an already bad problem worse. When you change a white character to non-white, it is a small step in addressing an issue.

Nothing about the character of Ariel has ever been defined by the color of her skin, nor has anything of her character required her to be white. People's complaints about this are rooted in racial bias which we are all inherently afflicted by and need to work to overcome.

 

[OutOfBoose]

I can certainly understand the upset of people who wanted a live action remake of the 89 look.

Bad timing. White gingers are forbidden in Hollywood these days (plus they have no soul). Rip Mary Jane, Ariel, Chani...

 

[Primal Slayer]

As long as they stay true to the character and give us a good film, i'll be fine. It is fine to want a character to look close to what you're used to, it's all about how you go about it is what really determines what kind of person you are imo. Majority of twitter negative reactions being in the racist territory.

Hollywood, catch up to Broadway.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

Except there is a big difference when changing a white character to a character of color and changing a character of color to a white character. There is, and never has been, a shortage of white people being represented in media. But the racism of our culture has been responsible for a horrible under representation of colored characters. So when you change a character of color to white, you are decidedly making an already bad problem worse. When you change a white character to non-white, it is a small step in addressing an issue.

Nothing about the character of Ariel has ever been defined by the color of her skin, nor has anything of her character required her to be white. People's complaints about this are rooted in racial bias which we are all inherently afflicted by and need to work to overcome.

In the Lion King thread, there are people who wants the Lions to be voiced by black actors, let me tell you.

Nothing suggest that Tiana was black and I'm sure if Tiana, in the future, will be played by a white, people would have the same reaction as "Ariel played by a black", or even worse. It's completely normal and nothing to do with "racial bias", especially with an iconic character like Ariel.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Nothing suggest that Tiana was black and I'm sure if Tiana, in the future, will be played by a white, people would have the same reaction as "Ariel played by a black", or even worse. It's completely normal and nothing to do with "racial bias", especially with an iconic character like Ariel.

Changing characters of color has everything to do with racial bias. Hollywood has been stealing their stories and giving them to white actors since Hollywood began and it isn't because there werent actors of color to play them. Hell, they wanted the lead actress in Crazy Rich Asians to be white. It will never be equal to changing a white character to a black character or any other POC.