Disney fans were left in shock today after a seeming first look of Sebastian in the live-action Little Mermaid film appeared online.
The film isn’t due to be released until May and to tide fans over until then Disney has released both a teaser trailer and a full-length trailer.
Neither clip is a deep dive into the world of Ariel and apart from the film’s star Halle Bailey, Flounder’s silhouette, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, we don’t see any other characters.
Now, Disney fanatics are sharing their responses after new art of Bailey’s Ariel and what appears to be the new live-action version of Sebastian surfaced online.
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The artwork originates from a puzzle, which features illustrations of Ariel, Flounder and Scuttle.
Sebastian, the royal court composer who accompanies Ariel on her adventures, can be seen in the bottom corner of the box art.
The Little Mermaid’s live-action retelling combines CGI animation and real-life actors. Judging by Sebastian’s jigsaw design, the animal characters are intended to look more realistic, just like the wildlife in the 2019 retelling of The Lion King.
Sebastian looks more like a crustacean compared to the Sebastian seen in the original 1989 film, which has opened the floodgates to mostly positive reactions and even one or two hungry comments...
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One fan was overjoyed with Sebastian’s new look. “Omg look at his little mouth. They actually made him work,” they wrote. “I genuinely thought he was gonna freak me out but he actually looks cute.”
Another Disney lover responded: “Agreed, he looks adorable and has an actual expression/emotion on his face.”
A third gushed: “Pretty realistic accurate look on Sebastian for the live action universe.”
Lots of people think the Jamaican crab singing sensation is adorable. “His little cute eyes and mouth is working,” one person shared.
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While another tweeted: “He looks way better than Flounder.”
Although it seems that not everyone was overjoyed with Sebastian’s fresh new appearance. “What is Mr. Krabs doing there?” a cheeky Spongebob fan quipped.
Another fan, who sounds like they’re on the fence about the redesign, tweeted: “Oh I don’t know about him.”
Shockingly, someone else wrote: "I saw Sebastian and got instantly hungry. Oh God I’m a monster."
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In the original 1989 film, Sebastian was voiced by the late Samuel E. Wright who passed away in 2021. Wright provided lead vocals for 'Under the Sea' which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Hamilton alum Daveed Diggs will provide the voice for Sebastian in the upcoming retelling.
The Little Mermaid will be released on 26 May 2023.
Topics: Film and TV, Disney