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In 2022,The Little Mermaidmade a lot of noise when Halle Bailey was announced as the casting choice for Ariel in the Disney live-action remake. The online backlash and steam that the studio received, however, was not new as far as the movie has been concerned. The diversely unexpected roster of actors that were revealed in roles such as the gender-swapped Scuttle (to be voiced by Awkwafina), contributed to quite a lot of heated debates when announced.
Now, it seems that Sebastian – in all his non-threatening and adorable glory – has become a point of contention among the public as well.
Also read:“Thank you for creating such a stunning film”: Original Ariel Voice Actor Jodi Benson PraisesThe Little Mermaid, Defends Halle Bailey Against Racist Trolls
First Look at Sebastian inThe Little MermaidRevealed
The Little Mermaidhas been one of Disney’s most prized possessions, one that has been high up on the citadel of the elites likeCinderella,Sleeping Beauty, andSnow White. But like all the rest, this fairy tale too represents a very specific and very white demography: something that has, in recent years, become a subject up for discussion and debate at the studios and the productions. Disney, and Hollywood in general, has become much more open to representation and inclusivity and Bailey’s casting was one of the more surprising and wholesome decisions to have come out of the House of Mouse.
Also read:Why Disney’sThe Little MermaidIs One Of The Most Regressive Movies Ever
But the backlash that was rooted in racism and bigotry has died down ever since (especially considering how many of the hate campaigns directed atThe Little Mermaidcasting were caused and started by AI bots). Now, the new hoarder of attention is the little red crab, Sebastian, whose sole reason to anger the crowd is the borderline effective and realistic CGI that makes the sea creature look more functional and flatteringly like an actual crab in its design than expected.
Fans React to Sebastian FromThe Little MermaidRemake
Also read:This Is HowThe Little MermaidWill Set Things Right Amid Disney Live-Action Criticisms
As far as the fairy tale is concerned, Sebastian has a big head, an entire set of perfect, pearly-white teeth, an enormous pair of crusher claws that he can enunciate his emotions with, and looks like a grumpy 45-year-old, tasked with the job of babysitting a wide-eyed 12-year-old. Essentially, the crab’s elemental design is meant to represent a comical and cartoonish crab – be it in the pages of a children’s storybook or a Disney-produced animation feature.
However, after the incredible stop-motion production ofPinocchiodirected by Guillermo Del Toro managed to blow everyone away, a bit of realism incorporated within the narrative doesn’t seem like it could do any harm. Apparently, the fans have other opinions regarding the matter since Sebastian’s realistic form is sending the collective fandom over the edge.
First look at Sebastian in#TheLittleMermaidpic.twitter.com/6oTTer3FI3
This movie gonna flop so hard
pic.twitter.com/dH3KGF1vgI
Shouldn’t have smoked that shit now I’m a real crab
Thats not sebastian thats Santiago
Why’s he look like Mr Krabs in the episode where they follow sandy out of the ocean 😭
The Little Mermaidlive-action remake is being directed by Rob Marshall with Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and Disney veteran and Academy Award-winning composer, Alan Menken contributing to the film’s music, score, and soundtrack.
The Little Mermaidpremieres on June 06, 2025.
Source:Twitter
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2410
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
