The animated Disney movie Little Mermaid had enchanted children in 1989, now the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson returns in a reimagined live-action version with new songs.
Little Mermaid cast (c_ Alex J. Berliner
Director Rob Marshall said: “It’s a very modern story about a girl who feels displaced and sees her life differently from anyone around her. With a great deal of passion and courage she embarks on an epic journey of self-discovery by breaking down walls and learning not to be afraid of the ‘other,’ which in her case was the human world. The contemporary themes explored felt to me like an antidote to the world’s divisions and a vital reminder that we are all one.” As for the casting of Ariel, which created controversy among racists, because of the color of her skin, Marshall stated: ““Our goal was to find someone who was incredibly passionate, smart, vulnerable, clever, with a great deal of fire and joy. When I first saw Halle, she was so otherworldly, and her voice was simply angelic. We saw everybody and every ethnicity, there really was no agenda.”
To underline how much times have changed in the past 30 years, Ariel, the princess of the sea, is portrayed by Halle Bailey, a famous singer of the duo Chloe x Halle with her older sister, after they acted together in the TV series Grown-ish, spin-off of Black-ish.
Halle was only 18 when she was chosen for the role and confessed that she cried when she received the phone call confirming it. This is how she described her character: “Ariel is passionate, she has so much wisdom beyond her years. She knows what she wants, and she doesn’t back down. I feel like our stories are very parallel to one another. We are both on similar journeys, and she inspired me to speak up and stand up for myself.”
Prince Eric, played by British actor Jonah Hauer-King, explained the foundation of this love story between two people who belong to different worlds: “They were kindred spirits who felt restless behind the four walls of their respective castles, and were very much looking outwards. They were fascinated by each other’s worlds, they learn a lot and develop a true friendship, which is the basis for love.”
Spanish star Javier Bardem is King Triton, Ariel’s father, with a long white beard and a fish tail like his daughter. He told us: “He’s a man who is deeply in love with his child, but he’s confused and fears for her, so he’s blocking her from being free. One of the beautiful themes in the story is that, like Eric’s mother Queen Selina (Noma Dumezweni), the adult parents have to learn from their kids. They don’t understand what true love means until they see them departing.”
Melissa McCarthy is Ursula, Triton’s sister, an evil sea witch with giant octopus tentacles. She said: “My goal was to create a villain you can love and despise at the same time.”
Daveed Diggs voices Sebastian the crab, Awkwafina is Scuttle the seabird, Jacob Tremblay is Flounder the fish.
Read below the same article I wrote in Italian for Voilà Magazine, slightly shortened to fit Instagram 2,200 characters limit.
La sirenetta ritorna
24 maggio, 2023
Il cartone animato La sirenetta aveva incantato i bambini nel 1989, adesso la classica fiaba di Hans Christian Andersen ritorna in una versione reinterpretata con attori in carne e ossa e nuove canzoni.
Il regista Rob Marshall dice: “Si tratta di una storia molto moderna di una ragazza che si sente fuori posto e ha una visione della vita diversa da tutti quelli che la circondano. Con grande passione e coraggio intraprende un viaggio epico di scoperta interiore, buttando giù dei muri e imparando a non aver paura dell’altro, in questo caso il mondo degli esseri umani.”
La principessa del mare Ariel è interpretata da Halle Bailey, famosa cantante del duo Chloe x Halle con la sorella maggiore. Hanno recitato insieme nella serie TV Grown-ish, spin-off di Black-ish.
Halle aveva solo 18 anni quando fu scelta per il ruolo e confessa di aver pianto quando ricevette la telefonata di conferma. Descrive cosi il suo personaggio: “Ariel è passionale e ha una saggezza superiore ai suoi anni, Sa quello che vuole e non si tira indietro. Le nostre storie corrono in parallelo, stiamo percorrendo un viaggio simile, e Ariel mi ha ispirato a farmi valere, mi ha aiutato a trovare me stessa.”
Il principe Eric, interpretato dall’attore inglese Jonah Hauer-King, spiega su cosa si basa questa storia d’amore fra due giovani che appartengono a mondi diversi: “Sono due anime gemelle, che si sentono inquiete dietro le quattro mura dei loro rispettivi castelli e guardano fuori, sono affascinati dal mondo dell’altro, imparano tante cose e sviluppano una vera amicizia, che è fondamentale per l’amore.”
Il divo spagnolo Javier Bardem è Re Tritone, il padre di Ariel, con una lunga barba bianca e la coda di pesce come la figlia. Ci racconta: “Si tratta di un uomo che ama profondamente sua figlia, ma si sente confuso e ha paura per lei, quindi le impedisce di essere libera. La bella lezione di questa storia è che, come la madre di Eric, i due genitori adulti devono imparare dai loro figli. Capiscono che cosa significa veramente l’amore, solo quando li vedono partire.”
Melissa McCarthy è Ursula, sorella di Tritone e strega del mare, con enormi tentacoli da piovra.