Disney Sued Over The Little Mermaid On-Set Injury

One of The Little Mermaid‘s special effects artists is suing Disney for $190,000 over an on-set injury. Variety reports that Christine Overs, who helped make the stunning lagoon scene in the film, was injured at Pinewood Studios back in October of 2020. Overs told The Times of London that she actually fell from a polystyrene step onto the concrete floor below and broke her wrist. In the special effects artist’s own words, the production company failed to “provide any adequate access to the set” which in turn led to the fall. Sandcastle Pictures is the production company in question and while they admit liability for the fall, they are disputing the monetary amount she’s seeking.

In court testimony for Central London county court, Overs claims that the incident ended up ruining the final years of her career. The artist also alleges a “substantial level of disability” from the accident. Following the broken wrist, Overs had to have surgery and multiple steel pins inserted into her arm. In her testimony, she claims that there are daily struggles to do buttons and zips now. There are also side effects of pain, disturbed sleep, and swelling to contend with as well. At 74-years-old, the professional has worked on a number of blockbuster films including Golden Eye, Dune, Alien, and Superman IV.

The Little Mermaid’s Difficulty With Some Water Scenes

Director Rob Marshall has not been shy about how hard underwater scenes could be to film during this movie. While CGI can do a lot, there were some moments that required the actors, including the stars to get into the water and film because there’s just no other way. One complication during The Little Mermaid that particularly vexed the filmmaker was trying to get usable shots inside of that expanse of water.

“Underwater was so complicated,” Marshall told Deadline when asked about the hardest scenes to film. “But our goal was never to let you see the machinery behind it all because sometimes there would be… In “Part of Your World,” Halle would sing two lines, and we’d say, ‘Cut,’ and then she’d be back on another piece of equipment or apparatus. It was all choreographed in advance. But then it was so complicated to think, ‘How do we do an underwater musical, really?’ It’s never been done before. So that was the goal, to make sure the audience doesn’t see any of that.”

What Happens In The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall’s live-action reimagining of Disney’s beloved animated musical classic, the story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy. The Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall with a screenplay by David Magee, and is produced by Marc Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John DeLuca and Rob Marshall.

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