UNDER THE CGI

SFX DEEP-DIVES WITH DIRECTOR ROB MARSHALL ON HOW HE REMADE (AND CHANGED) THE DISNEY ANIMATED CLASSIC THE LITTLE MERMAID

- JACK SHEPHERD

FOR ROB MARSHALL, DIRECTING a live-action version of The Little Mermaid felt something like destiny. “In 1989, when [the animated movie] came out, it really was the return of the movie musical,” he tells SFX. “When I did [directorial debut] Chicago, I felt a deep connection with Mermaid, because they had kicked the door open for movie musicals, and we then pushed the door even further with a live-action musical. Audiences were ready to accept actors actually moving from scene into song. So when they came and asked me to do this, it felt like fate.”

The original Little Mermaid was, at the time, a bold move for Disney, the company putting its weight behind an untested female-led animated picture. The result kickstarted a decade-long period known as the Disney Renaissance, which saw Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King all being produced. Of course, more recently, those three movies have all been remade in live-action, and now The Little Mermaid’s making the jump. This one, however, is different.

On a narrative level, The Little Mermaid is one of the more controversial Renaissance-era products. Ariel, the eponymous protagonist, seeks to live among the humans on the surface world and makes a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula to give up her voice and family to be with Eric, a Prince Charming-like character. Actress Keira Knightley made headlines a few years ago when she revealed that she had banned her children from watching The Little Mermaid. “The songs are great,” she said, “but do not give your voice up for a man!”