"Why is the Little Mermaid like that?" What Do You Think About Disney's 'Live-Action Movie'?

Latin Snow White, African Mermaid... Miscasting?
Disney Focuses on 'Talent' Beyond Traditional Characters
Eliminating Gender and Racial Discrimination... PC Culture and Blackwashing Controversies

Disney is facing casting controversies in the process of turning animations into movies. From the left, clockwise: The Little Mermaid - Halle Bailey, Tinker Bell - Yara Shahidi, Snow White - Rachel Zegler, Blue Fairy - Cynthia Erivo. Photo by Disney

[Asia Economy Culture Intern Reporter Young In] "Why is the princess like that?", "It's so different from the original", "Try looking at it from a different perspective."

Disney's live-action adaptations of animated films have been continuously embroiled in casting controversies. Critics argue that casting actors who do not match the original character descriptions disrupts the movie's immersion and disappoints fans. There are also voices claiming that this fractures Disney's own established universe.

Previously, Disney cast actress Rachel Zegler as the lead in the movie . In the original, Snow White is described as having "black hair, skin as white as snow, and lips as red as blood." However, the cast actress is Latina, leading to criticism that she does not fit the original Snow White's image.

Also, in 2019, during the production of , Hollywood actress and singer Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel. The public remembers Ariel as having red hair and white skin, but Halle Bailey is African American with brown hair. Fans launched a boycott campaign on social media platforms like Twitter using the hashtag #NotMyAriel.

When actor and singer Will Smith was cast as Genie in the movie , there were concerns as well. However, he ultimately delivered a perfect performance. Released in 2019, this film was Disney's first live-action movie and became the 25th film in South Korea to reach 10 million viewers. Additionally, Cynthia Erivo was cast as the Blue Fairy in , and Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell in . All are Black actors.

Amid the critical public opinion on casting, Disney stated that they want audiences to focus more on the actors' abilities and talents rather than the characters' physical appearances. Disney explained that the actors were cast because of their excellent singing skills and emotional connection to the characters.

Disney has been producing live-action films since 2016. Their stance is that seeing animated characters in live-action is for the fans and that the characters' value is high enough to warrant re-creation. Industry insiders analyze this as a form of content enhancement. A representative from the Korea Creative Content Agency explained, "It is to guarantee the success of 'Disney' and reaffirm the value of Disney's original content."

◆ "Can't watch the movie" vs "That's your problem" - Ongoing conflicts over casting

However, some still hold critical views. On Disney's official Instagram, sarcastic comments like "Mulan will be played by a Mexican, right?" and comments saying "I can't watch the movie" have appeared. In response, Disney's subsidiary channel 'Freeform' posted on Instagram, "If you still can't accept the casting after all this, that's your problem," rebutting the casting controversy.

Also, when Disney animated characters were criticized as "passive beings waiting for the prince's rescue," Disney introduced the 'New-wave Princess.' Representative examples include Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, warrior Mulan, and Moana who saves her tribe.

Yu Yeo-gbi was cast in the movie , which was released on September 17, 2020. Photo by Mulan poster

Fans supporting Disney's approach say it can break existing prejudices like "Princesses are white." By featuring diverse races in films, they argue that political correctness (PC) can be reflected in the works.

PC refers to a social movement rejecting prejudice. In 2020, Disney included a racial discrimination warning on its streaming service Disney Plus. The warning states, "The stereotypes in this work were wrong then and are wrong now."

However, Disney's PC approach has sparked controversy over whether it constitutes 'reverse discrimination.' Fans point out the so-called 'Blackwashing,' where characters are cast as Black actors despite not originally being Black. A representative example is The Little Mermaid.

While aiming for diverse casting, the notably low number of Asian actors is also problematic. The original actress for the live-action was Jennifer Lawrence. When this news spread, fans criticized, saying "Make Mulan properly." Since the original story is set in China, they argued that the casting should be Asian rather than white. Eventually, Disney cast Chinese actress Liu Yifei as Mulan.

Meanwhile, despite the casting controversies, Disney continues to produce live-action adaptations of animations. Cultural critic Jung Deok-hyun emphasized, "Casting people of color is necessary for diversity," adding, "Content being created now should suit today's audience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.