The official release of Disney’s live-action Little Mermaid is finally upon us, and excitement for the film is fully bubbling over.
Early reviews praise the flick for several elements, while maintaining criticism of others, but nearly everyone seems to agree that Halle Bailey shines as Ariel. This likely won’t be enough to convince the racists, of course, nor will it be enough to convince a disgruntled Letterboxd reviewer, who had the oddest complaint yet about the aquatic adventure.
Not to say that it’s valid, of course, but it seems people will find any excuse they can to hate on Disney’s latest live-action effort. This backlash isn’t restricted purely to The Little Mermaid, but the film’s impending debut is making it an easy target for trolls. Racist backlash is unfortunately nothing new to the fantasy genre — just ask Rings of Power’s Ismael Cruz Córdova.
Even if movies like The Little Mermaid aren’t your cup of tea, the fantasy realm has plenty of upcoming offerings to choose from. We’re still quite a ways out from season two of Rings of Power or House of the Dragon, and we’ve got quite the wait ahead of the fresh attempt at Percy Jackson, but each of these projects are closely watched by fans of the genre. We’re largely subsisting off of each meager new detail we get, when it comes to Percy Jackson, and scattered interviews with the stars of Rings of Power and House of the Dragon. They’re not quite enough to sustain us, but with Honor Among Thieves on digital and The Little Mermaid in theaters, we have several hearty main courses to keep us satiated.
The Little Mermaid earns a half star rating for the oddest of reasons
There is plenty of hate to be found for Disney’s upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid, but most of it hinges on one of several elements. Racist viewers have been raging about the decision to cast a Black Ariel for actual years, at this point, and the less-than appealing character designs for some of Ariel’s fishy friends is still getting pushback. The latest complaint levied against the film, however, has nothing to do with its creative decisions or casting choices. Instead, an irate — or maybe just wry — Letterboxd user took aim at a bafflingly minor detail, and proved that no criticism is too small.
Durin III’s actor stands behind his character’s harsh decision
The actor behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s Durin III, Peter Mullan, recently spoke on a controversial decision he made in the show’s first season on Prime Video. Discussing Durin III’s choice to leave the Elves to their fate, Mullan joked that Elves are “boring as all hell,” and, in a hilarious embodiment of the classic rift between Elves and Dwarves, added “kill the Elves.” The reason behind this heartless murder? “They’re too big, literally and metaphorically.”
Don’t worry, we’re getting a reasonable number of Percy Jackson episodes
A recent report from Yahoo! Entertainment indicated that the upcoming Percy Jackson television adaptation will only deliver six episodes in its debut season. This disappointingly low number was still fresh on fans minds when Becky Riordan, wife of Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan, stepped in to clear matters up. She reminded viewers that the show’s first season will contain eight, rather than six, episodes, leaving fans with more Percy Jackson to enjoy.
Ismael Cruz Córdova fully understands Halle Bailey’s predicament
Halle Bailey is, unfortunately, far from alone in facing racist trolls after stepping into a fantasy role. The Rings of Power‘s Ismael Cruz Córdova received similar treatment back when the Lord of the Rings spin-off first aired, and he recently opened up about the experience. Noting that he received “death threats” and his information was hacked by racist viewers, Córdova urged people to form a better understanding of how their words affect the celebrities they’re aimed at.
House of the Dragon’s showrunners never considered an alternative for the season’s best character
Very few people disagree with the assertion that Paddy Considine was one of the very best elements of House of the Dragon’s first season, and apparently the showrunners saw that coming. Considine, a cynic, was reportedly shocked to learn he’d been offered the role of King Viserys I Targaryen, and immediately wondered who turned the role down, in order to give him his shot. To the beloved actor’s surprise, he was the only star in the running for the role — which certainly paid off for the rest of us.