The Little Mermaid Discussion

[Sotiris]

Ariel and Eric Return to the Surface: "The Little Mermaid" Reunion Charms NYCC Fans
https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-en ... t-reunion/

"The Little Mermaid" Q&A with Jodi Benson and Christopher Daniel Barnes | Animate! Orlando
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04kRR7Ce5oc

Exclusive Journey on The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure with Jodi Benson & Lauren Paley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtjtl2eOnMA

Be My Guest with Jodi Benson and Sonya Balsara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9pkxKQfmyw

From courage to kindness, Jodi Benson shares what being a Princess means to her
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IchSAhHPEdo

Part of Our World with Jodi Benson & Ron Clements | Destination D23 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj0Ll-kKIno
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5rnWXMBGrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDPnZ42IjoU

[Disney Duster]

I found one of the best, if not the very best, cover for this movie I have ever seen. It's for a French book.

[PatchofBlue]

Ooo. That's an interesting composition. It's not often that we see "Kiss the Girl" featured on the front cover of anything Ariel. Though I feel like Eric ought to have more presence on the page than Ariel's sisters.

[Disney's Divinity]

Oh, I do like that. My only thing is I wish Ursula was in a slightly different pose (it looks sort of like they took a shot of her falling out of the conch shell she rests in and copied it), but otherwise really pretty.

[Disney Duster]

Hm...yes, we do not often see Kiss the Girl in a cover or poster, and Eric is more important than the sisters so couldn't he be opposite of Triton, maybe? And I get the Ursula conchshell pose, but I do love the pose still. I have no real problems with the cover though and I am at least glad you two big Little Mermaid fans like it!!!

[Thumper_93]

I like the idea but I don't like the composition.
- Eric's castle should be up. It doesn't have sense to put it in the bottom of the cover.
- Ariel in the rock should be in the middle with the tittle over her.
- Down Ariel they should have added the kiss the girl scene. It's a good idea to include it but I think that it doesn't apart much to the cover but this way they could have used the colors of the water to draw the ocean in the bottom part of the cover. This way the cover would look more harmonious and it would have more sense.
- In the bottom of the cover all the merpeople and creatures. Ursula in the middle, Triton under her and the sisters in both sides just like in the final version. Flounder should have a smaller size.

[Disney Duster]

I like a lot of your ideas, Thumper! I think I would just keep Triton and the sisters on the sides of Ursula the same even if you move all the sea people to the bottom. I love the composition as is, but I also love your composition!

[Sotiris]

In a new interview, John Musker revealed that originally Marvin Hamlisch was set to write the film's songs alongside Howard Ashman. Howard was working with Hamlisch on the short-lived theatrical musical Smile at the time, but because it was a fraught collaboration, he suggested bringing Alan Menken on board instead to directors Musker & Clements. They were thrilled with that suggestion as they had already seen Little Shop of Horrors and loved it.

He also revealed that initially Ariel's 'I Want' song was going to be a more vague, Somewhere Over the Rainbow-type of song. It was Howard's idea the song be about Ariel's love for the human world.

[Disney Duster]

Howard and Alan made the movie much better in those two ways!

[Disney's Divinity]

I was just thinking how much I'd like a steelbook for this film since I have so many steelbooks now. No offense to Paige O'Hara, but the steelbook for the last release was a pass for me. Since I know Sleeping Beauty's 4k release restoration is being worked on, I checked both films' last home media release dates and their Signature releases came almost back to back in 2019. So hopefully that could mean a new TLM release might come this year, too?

I would love a steelbook that uses the original poster of the four lead characters around the golden palace. The John Alvin poster is gorgeous, but it got used last time several different times. The palace poster would be my #1 choice, but wouldn't mind one of the image they use for the menu screen of her sitting on the rock below the moon. Or even the 90's rerelease poster would be beautiful if done right.

EDIT: Nevermind, just thought about the fact that these 4K releases really hadn't received steelbooks. So who knows when TLM will get a proper steelbook (IF ever, since the industry is trying to hurry onthe death of physical media). Aladdin deserves a decent one, too. At least B&tB, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty had pretty steelbooks. I've since got the ones for Cinderella and SB, wish I had got the B&tB one back when.

[Thumper_93]

I agree with you about a steenbok with this poster. They could even use the original VHS cover for the standard edition. It would be really nostalgic and I'm sure that lot of people would buy it.

[Disney Duster]

I vote the sitting in the moon poster for a steelbook. Divinity, would you provide pics, or links, or even just descriptions of the Cindy, SB, and BatB steelbooks you got/want to get?

[Disney's Divinity]

I figured you'd prefer that just from past conversations. And you have a better chance than I do, unfortunately, since the original poster has the dreaded palace with the, gasp, phallic towers!!! Just like they turned the palace into an ugly mound in the remake. Because the company's lost its damn mind, in other words.

Cinderella had the purple steelbook where you have the clock at the top and Cinderella and the prince dancing in shadow. SB's was the sort of white cover where there's a sort of slanted arrangement, it's very nice, too. B&tB's had the shot from the film of the stained glass Enchantress holding the rose on the cover and the original John Alvin poster on the back. Steelbooks weren't really a thing to me at the time and I didn't have much money anyway, so I passed. Wish I hadn't. It's priced at like $800 on Amazon.

[Disney Duster]

Wow you remembered my love of that poster!

You know, I don’t think I realized till now that your explanation of the phallic towers must have been a huge part of why the live-action Triton’s palace was…whatever the hell that was! Not a good excuse, Disney! Just make a palace out of pretty shells or something!

Anyway, the steelbooks! I was so disappointed with all Cinderella steelbooks. The first one was a copy paste of the Platinum Edition gift set cover with the glass slipper in front of the castle. Pretty, but unoriginal. The purple pink one you want, while better for being original, just didn’t do it for me. Felt like just a collage of old pics. The final one was the silver Disney 100 anniversary shit with just Cindy in a small square. The purple one was def the best of those three but couldn’t we have had some new drawings in that collage? Oh well, of course I own all three! Lol

The Sleeping Beauty one has Aurora in pink dancing with Phillip in front of the castle, Maleficent, and the huge dragon, with the fairies floating on the left? I do like that one despite it being old images. The one before it that mimicks the gold, bejeweled in-film storybook is better and a masterpiece though! I own that one. There is also the Mondo steelbook of Phillip protecting Briar Rose as a huge Maleficent looms above them. It’s great but not the best drawing.

I also do own that Beauty and the Beast one, and boy is that the best of all the steelbooks to me! Either that or the gold Sleeping Beauty one. God do I love seeing Belle and the Beast dancing in purple and the stained-glass rose clinches it. It’s just so beautiful!

I am sorry you don’t have them, but here’s to hoping maybe someday! Thank you for describing them to me!