Voice actress Jodi Benson, known to people the world over as the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, recently spoke to Deadline and has revealed she’s absolutely “thrilled” for Disney’s next remake. Revealing that she and Rob Marshall, director of the live action Little Mermaid remake, have been friends for over forty years, Benson praised her friend, calling him a “breathtaking, talented director”.
Continuing to express admiration for Marshall, Benson also dropped an interesting tidbit into her words of praise: the incorporation of homages to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman into the film, both of whom contributed heavily to the soundtrack of the original animated classic. Given that the new film will reportedly feature new songs, that’s probably a good sign for fans: the additional music will likely flow well with songs the audience already knows and loves. Affectionately referring to Marshall as “Robbie”, Benson later stated that she “knew we were in good hands” on the project thanks to his presence on set.
Like many of Disney’s live action retellings, The Little Mermaid has proven to be a controversial project (though not all of that is thanks to the film itself). While some have criticized what they perceive to be lazy and lackluster CGI and some have argued that the continued trend of live-action remakes is unnecessary, others have chosen to attack the film’s star, Halle Bailey, due to racist complaints: Bailey is a Black woman, while Ariel appears to be Caucasian in the 1989 classic. This has, unfortunately, resulted in prejudiced vitriol being thrown her way – something that Bailey, and indeed no human, does not deserve.
Others, however, are concerned with the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the film. Disney has recently received backlash for its refusal to respect the WGA Strike of 2023. Rather than allowing showrunners to strike through their non-writing duties, which the WGA demands of its members lest they incur fines, Disney has pushed that financial burden onto its union members, a move which evokes the entire purpose of the strike to begin with.
Ultimately, Benson has a stronger tie to the original film than nearly anyone. The fact that she’s excited for the film should be a good sign. While it won’t be enough to pacify all critics of the film, it surely will draw in some more of the Disney die-hards, who may decide to see the project if an original voice actress praises it.