New Little Mermaid Director Claims To Have Improved Prince Eric

As the release date for the New Little Mermaid draws near, Rob Marshall is giving audiences the intel on another way that the new version will diverge from the 1989 film. This time, it involves the prince.

The New Little Mermaid

Over the past years, Disney has developed a habit of rebooting animated classics as live-action films. Among the movies that have received the live-action reboot makeover are Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, Lion King, Aladdin, and Dumbo.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid (1989), which was just named to the National Film Registry, is the next classic animated film in line to see its live-action remake’s theatrical release come to fruition. Its release date is set for May 26, 2023.

Details

As the date draws near, more and more details have emerged. We already know the film’s cast. Most notably, Halle Bailey will play Ariel, and Melissa McCarthy will play Ursula. Luca’s Jacob Tremblay voices Flounder, Daveed Diggs from Hamilton voices Sebastian, and Jonah Hauer-King plays Prince Eric.

There is also a theatrical trailer available. You can see it here and hear a few chords of the new spin on Part of Your World.

A Whole New Prince Eric

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Now, it is no secret that Prince Eric is a beloved Disney Prince with his own fan base. People love the guy. But, will these fans love seeing a new spin on one of their favorite princes?

Director Rob Marshall commented on the substantial changes surrounding the Prince Eric character in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. It looks like Prince Eric is getting a new backstory.

Marshall comments, “The role of Eric in the animated film — I’m sure the original creators would agree with this — it’s a wooden, classic prince character with not a lot going on.” The director goes on to say, “There’s a whole story that’s developed in our film. He has a mother, a queen, that’s new to the film. He has a very similar trajectory in a way to Ariel; he doesn’t feel like it’s where he fits in, his world.”

As part of Eric’s story, the audience will learn that unlike in the 1989 film, the prince grows up with a general awareness of mermaids. More specifically, his elders teach him that the creatures of the deep are bad.

However, the prince does not believe the stories he hears about the merpeople. Marshall comments, “these two kindred spirits find each other and really teach the world about prejudice and about breaking down barriers and walls between these two worlds.“

Will you be joining audiences to see the new film in theatres? Let us know in the comments or join the conversation on Facebook.