The Little Mermaid Stars Break Down Changes to Film’s Ending

The live-action retelling of The Little Mermaid is now in theaters, and is mixing a reverence for the animated film with some trailblazing new narrative notes. Spoilers for The Little Mermaid below! Only look if you want to know! One of the additions to The Little Mermaid was a deviation of its ending, which saw King Triton (Javier Bardem) openly acknowledge that Ariel (Halle Bailey) went through her adventure on Earth, in part, because she wanted to be seen and heard by the rest of her family. In a recent interview with Deadline, Bailey and Bardem reflected on the tweaks to the ending, and the significance it hopefully has on the audience.

“That ending is really a great version, and it shows her strength and power throughout the film,” Bailey explained. “You’re seeing Ariel transform in front of your eyes, where at the beginning she’s a little bit shy and timid and frustrated because the beautiful things she’s voicing about herself and her future and her wants and needs aren’t being heard. And so, for her to go out of her way to burst through to the world that she doesn’t know, and for her to be brave enough to do so and come out on top the way she did, and fighting for love and friendship and family at the heart of the film is just, it’s so cool to see. So, I definitely say moments like the ending were really impactful to me, and I was happy to see that transformation in Ariel.”

“As parents, father and mother, we want to protect [our children],” Bardem echoed. “We want to make sure that they are not suffering and that they don’t suffer. But life is about joy and pain, all the gray areas and the ups and downs. Those are the things that you cannot avoid. And you have to be there for them, but also let them go and have their own journey. And he realizes that, and it is not easy. I know.”

What is The Little Mermaid remake about?

The Little Mermaid follows Ariel, the youngest daughter of the kingdom Atlantica’s ruler King Triton, who is fascinated with the human world but mermaids are forbidden to explore it. After saving Prince Eric from a shipwreck and falling in love with, she becomes determined to be with him in the world above water. These actions lead to a confrontation with her father and an encounter with the conniving sea witch Ursula, making a deal with her to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress Eric. However, this ultimately places her life (and her father’s crown) in jeopardy.

The Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns), with a script from David Magee and Jane Goldman. The cast also includes Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy. The film is expected to feature original songs from the 1989 animated blockbuster, as well as new tracks composed by Alan Menken and Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda.

What did you think of the ending of the live-action The Little Mermaid? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Little Mermaid is now playing exclusively in theaters.