LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’, which hit the theatres on May 26, 2023, introduced the audiences to a series of minor yet effective changes to the original animated story. However, the remake also gives a background story to Ariel’s mother, who remained a mystery to date.
The 1989 version doesn't explicitly state how Ariel's mother and King Triton's wife died but in the remake, the film narrates that she was killed by humans and that's why Triton hates them. Screen Rant states, "The actual act isn't described in detail, Ariel mentions that there was only one man that killed her mother, and furthermore, the reason her murder occurred was because of her obsession with land and humans. Ultimately, this encounter ended with Ariel's mother's tragic death, which led to many changes to the underwater kingdom Ariel lives in."
RELATED ARTICLES
30 years of 'The Little Mermaid': How the original animated movie changed things for Disney
Ariel's mother died in 'The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'
Before the remake, in 2008, an animated prequel titled 'The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning' revealed that Ariel's mother ended up dying after getting crushed between the pirate ship and the rocks of the cove after an altercation between humans and merpeople. It shows how before the death of Ariel's mother, the ocean and land were connected. But following her tragic death, Triton banned merpeople from going to the land.
The 2023 version detail that a single human was responsible for her death and it was not a ship-based accident, states Collider. But it doesn't provide any further details.
What is 'The Little Mermaid' all about?
According to IMDb, 'The Little Mermaid' traces the story of a young mermaid who makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince. The cast of the film includes Halle Bailey as the lead Ariel, who took to Twitter in October 2022 to announce the news. She wrote, "Words can’t describe how immensely honored I feel to play the mermaid of my dreams, Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Come under the sea with me, in theaters May 26, 2023."
Alongside her, Jonah Hauer-King stars as Prince Eric. We can also see Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Noma Dumezweni in a brand-new role as Queen Selina. Even though the film faced backlash for casting a Black actress as a lead, Disney also received tons of praise for its attempt to be more inclusive.
