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Film ► The Little Mermaid Live Action Remake



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Zettaflare

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Are they gonna remake everything Live Action? How about a CGI Remake for once?
gee
CGI? I'd rather not. We may never see another hand drawn disney animated film so the last thing I want is for classics to get the CGI treatmemt.
 

TheGingerCat

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Yeah, can't really see the point of a CGI remake being made for a 2D animated movie.
 

King Sora X

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Something about this just doesn't sit well with me. No, it has nothing to do with her being half-black. I honestly don't care about the race of the actors. No, for me it's about how Disney is completely contradicting themselves here. When they started the announcements of their live-action remakes of their classic films, they made it a mission to cast actors who fit that ethnicity to a T. For the cast of Mulan, they're focusing their efforts on casting Chinese actors and actresses; for Aladdin, they've mostly gone for those of Indian and Egyptian ethnicities. Hell, even Lion King has been given the all-African-American treatment, which is a good move on their part.

Even if it is a rumor, I wonder why they're opting for Zendaya and not someone who looks like the original Ariel? Like maybe Debby Ryan? She's still involved with Disney last I remember. Now, I adore Zendaya. I loved her in Spider-Man Homecoming, but I honestly think they could get someone a lot better than her to play the role of Ariel.
 

Zettaflare

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It's still just a rumor though so who knows. Personally I thought that a young actress like Sophia Lillis(who just stared in Stephen King's It) would have made a wonderful Ariel.
 

alexis.anagram

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Even if it is a rumor, I wonder why they're opting for Zendaya and not someone who looks like the original Ariel?
Yes, whoever will think about the endangered white actor. #allmermaidsmatter?

I kind of just hope they choose to cast someone who can actually sing if they're keeping it a musical. I feel like that's not unreasonable.

It'd also be nice to see a trans woman as Ariel. For a lot of kids, TLM played a part in helping them register their gender identity. Plus, visibility. We're always like, oh trans women don't have the name recognition to succeed. Well, here's a movie that requires zero name recognition.
 

Zettaflare

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Eh, controversies aside I'm curious about casting choices for other characters. Namely Ursula and King Triton.
 
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Chuman

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yeah disney wtf, really throwing historical accuracy away by casting a person of color as the mythical fish woman
 

Nayru's Love

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Something about this just doesn't sit well with me. No, it has nothing to do with her being half-black. I honestly don't care about the race of the actors. No, for me it's about how Disney is completely contradicting themselves here. When they started the announcements of their live-action remakes of their classic films, they made it a mission to cast actors who fit that ethnicity to a T. For the cast of Mulan, they're focusing their efforts on casting Chinese actors and actresses; for Aladdin, they've mostly gone for those of Indian and Egyptian ethnicities. Hell, even Lion King has been given the all-African-American treatment, which is a good move on their part.

Even if it is a rumor, I wonder why they're opting for Zendaya and not someone who looks like the original Ariel? Like maybe Debby Ryan? She's still involved with Disney last I remember. Now, I adore Zendaya. I loved her in Spider-Man Homecoming, but I honestly think they could get someone a lot better than her to play the role of Ariel.

Generally, casting still favors whoever reflects the character the best. In cases like Aladdin and Mulan, ethnicity is important to their characters; Aladdin has to be Middle-Eastern because part of his character is being unremarkable (in that he blends in with everyone else in Agrabah), and Mulan has to be Chinese because her journey is about overcoming Chinese gender roles. Ariel's desire for freedom has more to do with her literal race than her race, so I think there's nothing wrong with producers having more freedom with her casting.
 

Chuman

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Generally, casting still favors whoever reflects the character the best. In cases like Aladdin and Mulan, ethnicity is important to their characters; Aladdin has to be Middle-Eastern because part of his character is being unremarkable (in that he blends in with everyone else in Agrabah), and Mulan has to be Chinese because her journey is about overcoming Chinese gender roles. Ariel's desire for freedom has more to do with her literal race than her race, so I think there's nothing wrong with producers having more freedom with her casting.
YUP YUP YUP THATS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT
 

King Sora X

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Something I think most of y'all are ignoring is how I stated that it has nothing to do with race despite me stating as such a few times in my post, but I shall say it once more: my problem isn't about the race. I've no qualms about Zendaya. I know she's a very capable actress and have been a long-time fan of hers since she was on KC Undercover. I just don't think she's right for the role as Ariel. But hey! Unpopular opinions are pretty frowned upon, so I guess I should just quit while I'm ahead, right?! :D
 

ImVentus

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Mulan is accurate but as for Aladdin it's a more controversial accuracy. There's been findings of Chinese origins, and the Disney flick used middle eastern with more Indian influences. So all those that claim it as middle eastern, aren't correct. Which causes for a lot of crybabies, but hey! Facts are facts.

If they're going to make that Snow White remake, they haft to at least cast accurately. They can't ignore "Hair as black as ebony, lips red as the rose, skin as white as snow"

As for this TL remake, I don't really give much care for. I'd most likely skip it.
 
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DarkGrey Heroine

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I've no qualms about Zendaya. I know she's a very capable actress and have been a long-time fan of hers since she was on KC Undercover. I just don't think she's right for the role as Ariel. But hey! Unpopular opinions are pretty frowned upon, so I guess I should just quit while I'm ahead, right?! :D

Same, man. I also don't see Zendaya as the best "face" for Ariel. I love her and all, but the facial features do a lot of storytelling on their own, and imo it isn't the best match for Ariel (just like I still think Emma Watson for Belle wasn't a good match either. I love the actress and she's beautiful and charming, very distinctly so, but I don't consider her the Belle I would imagine irl...)
 

Rydgea

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But there are so many other designs and aesthetics (sets, costumes, hairstyles, voices, the interpretations of these characters when they transfer to "realistic" CGI) that change with all of these live-action remakes, why does the face matter so much? It's superficial.

Emma Watson was a great "face" for Belle, but Jesus Christ that singing was god awful. Honestly, Jodi Benson gave Ariel my favorite singing voice of any Disney character, if all I hear is autotune in this new film, I will rage!
 

Elysium

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Add me in as another unpopular opinion: I don't think Zendaya is a good actress or a good singer and don't want her as Ariel. *shrug*
 

Grizzly

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Something about this just doesn't sit well with me. No, it has nothing to do with her being half-black. I honestly don't care about the race of the actors.

When they started the announcements of their live-action remakes of their classic films, they made it a mission to cast actors who fit that ethnicity to a T.

Not to target you, but this makes it sound a whole lot like it's about race. But race, face, what does it matter in the context of this film? Zendaya looks nothing like MJ (or Michelle from the comics), but it's fine there? Cinderella has been Disney's best live adaption of an animated film, but other than skin color, Lily James looks nothing like Cinderella. Race isn't the essence of Ariel's character, and face shape is almost never essential to a character's identity. It's the writing, the personality, and the changes the character goes through.

But there are so many other designs and aesthetics (sets, costumes, hairstyles, voices, the interpretations of these characters when they transfer to "realistic" CGI) that change with all of these live-action remakes, why does the face matter so much? It's superficial.

Emma Watson was a great "face" for Belle, but Jesus Christ that singing was god awful. Honestly, Jodi Benson gave Ariel my favorite singing voice of any Disney character, if all I hear is autotune in this new film, I will rage!

This 100%. Zendaya is a good singer and a good actress, and for a character like Ariel, that's far more important than race or face shape or any of those other things. We're getting hung up on details that have nothing to do with what's important to that character's identity.
 

Rydgea

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This 100%. Zendaya is a good singer and a good actress, and for a character like Ariel, that's far more important than race or face shape or any of those other things. We're getting hung up on details that have nothing to do with what's important to that character's identity.

Just to clarify, I don't know much of Zendaya's work. I saw her as MJ in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and thought she did well, and she certainly didn't need the backlash from the bigoted end of comic book fandom. I don't know if she'll make a good Ariel.

I just don't think the actor's face matters that much. It's going to be sold based on delivery of the lines and vocals (not computer-generated garbage). I'd rather have an excellent actor behind the delivery and a full CGI character than casting someone ONLY based on their looks. Otherwise we could hire a mannequin and call it a day.
 

Oracle Spockanort

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I think Zendaya will be great. She isn’t the greatest singer on the planet but she can sing and do it well. She’s leagues better than plenty of singers who are famous right now, and I can easily see her singing “Part of Your World”. The woman doesn’t need to be auto tuned when she can sing live.

As for looks, she is beautiful. She can act when given a good role. Get off that “she doesn’t look right for the role” train and ask yourself why you think that she doesn’t look right?
 

Elysium

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Wow, I had no idea Zendaya was this popular. Yuck. Someone brought up Jodi Benson... Even in her grave she'll sound better than Zendaya, but I guess having an exceptional voice isn't important to the plot for this one... Oh, wait.
 
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