Over the last few years, Disney has made a habit out of adapting beloved animated blockbusters into live-action. We’ve seen this to various levels of success including projects like The Lion King and Beauty and The Beast. The latest of these heading to theaters is The Little Mermaid, helmed by the great Rob Marshall. Anticipation for the upcoming Disney movie has been steadily building, but there was some criticism online about the way the appearance of the animal characters like Scuttle and Sebastian. And Jacob Tremblay recently reacted to Flounder’s meme-worthy design.
Despite only being 16 year-old, Jacob Tremblay has had a wildly successful career thanks to projects like Room. He voiced Ariel’s best friend Flounder, but as more footage and Little Mermaid trailer were released, fans have been poking fun at the character’s realistic appearance. Tremblay was asked by People about all the memes floating around (pun intended), and he responded saying:
I was shown the design when I went in for the audition and I saw the movie last night and, I have to say that I think it really, really worked. I think that they were geniuses and they knew exactly what they were doing. I think it works out perfectly. I think it matches everything. So if it was different, I don't think it would really work.
There you have it. While Flounder has been meme fodder online, Tremblay likes the way that his character’s design was executed in Little Mermaid. We’ll just have to see if the public’s opinion changes once the movie is finally released in theaters. Only time will tell.
Aside from the memes about animal characters, the early reception for The Little Mermaid has been super positive. The movie’s visuals have been getting a ton of praise, as has lead actress Halle Bailey for her performance in the titular role. This stands in stark contrast to the racist hate Bailey experienced as a result of her casting. And as more footage from the movie makes its way online, it seems naysayers are being converted.
Director: Rob Marshall
Writer: David Magee
Cast: Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay.
Release Date/Platform: May 26th in theaters
As for whether or not audiences will come around on Flounder remains to be seen. The 1989 original Little Mermaid movie has a special place in generations of Disney fans’ hearts. But Rob Marshall’s film is giving the animals a more realistic appearance, despite their ability to speak and sing songs like “Kiss The Girl.” Flounder looks different as a result, losing his round appearance and rich yellow and blue coloring.
Luckily the wait is nearly over, as The Little Mermaid will arrive in theaters later this month. It should be fascinating to see how well it performs, and how that might influence the production of future Disney movies. The studio recently confirmed the Moana live-action movie is coming, with Dwayne Johnson revealing the news himself.
The Little Mermaid will arrive in theaters on May 26th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
