Next May, we’ll be whisked away to a magnificent underwater world in “The Little Mermaid,” which boasts impressive images and emotional songs. However, a few changes had to be made to the music.
With the live-action adaptations, Disney has given its animated classics a modern makeover, allowing a whole new generation access to the fairy-tale stories. The next live-action adaptation, “Ariel the Mermaid,” awaits us next month.
The animated film “The Little Mermaid” debuted on the big screen in 1989 and was able to thrill audiences with its delightful musical scores. But as composer Alan Menken revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair, two of the best-known songs have been adapted for the remake. The reason for the changes is quite understandable, however, as the song lyrics could be considered offensive by some viewers* from today’s perspective. The 73-year-old musician explained:
“There are some lyric changes in ‘Kiss the Girl’ because people were very sensitive to the idea that [Prince Eric] was imposing on [Ariel] in any way. In ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls,’ we reworked some lines that might make young girls feel like they shouldn’t speak up, even though Ursula is clearly manipulating Ariel into speaking up.”
Alan Menken
You haven’t been able to get a picture of the live-action film adaptation yet? Then the following trailer will help you get a first impression:
The Music of “The Little Mermaid” Live-action
Alan Menken has been working as a composer for Disney since the 1989 animated film “The Little Mermaid”. In addition to the underwater adventure, he has also provided the background music for “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” (both the animated films and the live-action adaptations), among others.
Disney has also enlisted active support for the music department of the remake. These include filmmakers Benj Pasek (“The Greatest Showman”), Justin Paul (“La La Land”), Robert Lopez (“WandaVision”), Kirsten Anderson-Lopez (“The Ice Kings: Completely Undead”), and Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”).
How the slightly modified pieces of the “The Little Mermaid” remake will ultimately sound, we can find out from May 25, 2023, in the cinema. Suppose you want to watch the original again. In that case, you can find the animated film “The Little Mermaid, the Mermaid” and all other Disney classics and corresponding live-action adaptations in the Disney+ offer. You can secure your membership here if you don’t have a subscription yet.
