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These days, more and more fairy tale retellings or fantasy adventure movies seem to revel in turning well-known stories or tropes on their head — and now, one of Disney’s most iconic fairy tale retellings is getting a taste of its own medicine as its character is turned into a monstrous villain!
‘The Little Mermaid’ With a Twist
In the upcoming animated movie called Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (a Dreamworks film about a teenage girl named Ruby who learns that she is actually a kraken trying to fit in on land, and who comes into her own under the tutelage of her ocean-dwelling grandmother), there is a young mermaid who bears a very striking resemblance to the Disney princess named Ariel.
Ariel the little mermaid with her friends Sebastian the crab and Flounder the fish. Credit: Disney
Krakens Are Heroes, and Mermaids Are Villains?
Ariel the little mermaid has been the talk of the Disney-loving town as of late, since the newest Disney movie is a controversial live-action remake of the 1989 Little Mermaid movie that first made the red-headed Disney mermaid famous.
In the films, Ariel is a kind and loving hero — but in Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, Ariel’s unofficial doppelganger (who is named “Chelsea”, and who uses modern-day slang like “Yes, queen”) is actually far from loving!
Villainous mermaids and kraken nemeses in ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’, which stars Lana Condor, Toni Collette, and Jane Fonda. Credit: Dreamworks / Universal Pictures
“Chelsea” Sure Looks Familiar…
In the trailer shown below from Universal Pictures, audiences can even hear a villainous laugh coming from Chelsea that is not unlike the evil laughs coming from Ursula the sea witch in the Little Mermaid movies!
Mermaids in Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken are “selfish, vain narcissists,” not peace-loving ocean-dwellers — and krakens, which absolutely resemble the tentacled sea witch Ursula, are actually the heroes in this movie’s world!
Disney fans often find it amusing when other competitors like Dreamworks mock or satirize Disney movie characters — especially classic Disney princesses, since their movies’ storylines often leave something to be desired — but some Disney Fanatics might find it upsetting to see ‘Ariel’ being allegedly portrayed as “the worst of them all” in this new animated Dreamworks film!
Will the inclusion of actors like Lana Condor, Toni Collette, and Jane Fonda be enough to make you see this movie in theaters, despite its potential damage to Ariel’s reputation?
