Halle Bailey’s Ariel takes on the original animated Ursula in stunning The Little Mermaid fan art. Based on the 1989 animated classic of the same name, Disney’s latest live-action remake stars pop singer Bailey as the titular heroine. Melissa McCarthy takes on the role of Ursula, an evil sea witch who takes Ariel’s voice in exchange for her becoming human for three days. Rounding out the Little Mermaid cast is Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.
Artist Sean J. Cuttino took to Instagram to share their striking Little Mermaid fan art, which depicts Bailey’s Ariel taking on Ursula.
Rendered in the style from the original animated film, the sea witch holds Ariel in her tentacles while Flounder attempts to free the princess. The fan art is a remake of a more playful 13-year-old piece from the same artist.
What The Little Mermaid Changed From The Original
As with Disney’s remakes for The Lion King and Aladdin, the new Little Mermaid adheres closely to the original film’s story and music, though new songs were specifically written for remake. The Little Mermaid featured three new songs, “For the First Time,” “Wild Uncharted Waters,” and “Scuttlebutt,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and composed by Alan Menken. A number of the original songs, including “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and “Kiss the Girl,” have also been updated with new lyrics to reflect modern sentiment.
The Little Mermaid also changed a major aspect of Ursula’s character. The 1989 version portrayed the sea witch as an outcast who simply wished to usurp King Triton as ruler of the oceans. However, the new film gives Ursula a familial relationship to the king, making her Triton’s estranged sister. The change in the character added an emotional depth that McCarthy captured wonderfully in her depiction of the iconic Disney villain.
Upon release, reception to The Little Mermaid has been generally positive, and critics have had nothing but praise for both Bailey and McCarthy’s performances in their respective roles. After a week, the remake has so far pulled in over $326 million at the worldwide box office, though some wonder if it will hit the $1 billion milestone. With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse premiering last week and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts set for Friday, The Little Mermaid has a tough road ahead to reach that coveted mark.
