With The Little Mermaid being the nineteenth Disney live-action remake, it seems like the company may finally be taking the right steps in getting their remakes right. Unlike a number of their remakes in the past, like The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King, it seems like Disney will be taking a more unique approach for this film, which is only fitting since Ariel has always been unique amongst the Disney Princesses. From what’s known so far, it looks like the remake will be less focused on telling a story that has already been told through a different visual medium, like its predecessors, and will instead flesh out its original story.
The original animated The Little Mermaid, released in 1989, was based on a Danish fairytale of the same name. The movie made a lot of changes from the story, which featured a lot more sacrifice and pain on Ariel’s part; along with losing her voice, she had to endure the pain of her every step feeling like it was on sharp daggers in exchange for the legs she needed to meet the prince, who never falls in love with her. The original ending in The Little Mermaid was also changed, with the animated film giving Ariel a happy ever after.
