Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” starring Halle Bailey as Ariel and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, will have two of its songs sees their lyrics modified to better reflect modern sensibilities.
Alan Menken, who co-created the soundtrack of the original animated film with Howard Ashman, worked alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda to update the lyrics for the live-action adaptation.
Vanity Fair spoke with Menken who indicates both “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” will have had their lyrics modified to allow consent. In the former’s case, the song has Prince Eric encouraged to kiss Ariel who at that point in time doesn’t have a voice:
“There are some lyric changes in ‘Kiss the Girl’ because people have gotten very sensitive about the idea that [Prince Eric] would, in any way, force himself on [Ariel].”
Also getting changed is Ursula’s big number, “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” with one key line scoring a change. The original film line: “The men up there don’t like a lot of blabber, they think a girl who gossips is a bore, yet on land, it’s much preferred for ladies not to say a word.” Menken says:
“We have some revisions in ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ regarding lines that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn, even though Ursula is clearly manipulating Ariel to give up her voice.”
Meanwhile, the film’s director Rob Marshall has confirmed that he met with pop superstar Harry Styles to play the role of Prince Eric initially alongside Halle Bailey’s Ariel. However Marshall tells EW that Styles turned him down:
“We met with him. He was lovely. What a wonderful guy. But at the end of the day, he really felt like he wanted to go off and do the movies that he ended up doing, which were sort of darker.
For a lot of young musical people like Harry, you’re trying to carve your way, and you don’t wanna be seen as a singer, necessarily. That’s why he was really looking to do something not in the musical genre, to really stretch himself.
It was really a fun idea to play with, but in the end, I always think things happen for a reason. I’m so happy to have two young, new people in the film.”
Styles instead ended up doing “Don’t Worry Darling” and “My Policeman” which skew darker and much more adult in tone. “The Little Mermaid” hits cinemas everywhere on May 26th.
