Posted on May 10, 2023

"The Little Mermaid" Star Jacob Tremblay Responded After Fans Criticized Flounder's "Skinny" Redesign In The New Live-Action Film

People didn't know who that was supposed to be in the poster, but it wasn't Flounder.

by Chelsea Stewart

BuzzFeed Staff

The Little Mermaid poster with Ariel swimming towards the surface

ariel, flounder and sebastian in the cartoon movie

It was an outrage, immediately.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS https://t.co/Gw4z5KXAeZ pic.twitter.com/BWakE6MHbl
— ade | 24/7 with hori7on (@ihearthori7on) April 27, 2023

@ihearthori7on / Disney / Everett Collection

THEY DEFLATED MY BOY FLOUNDER 😭 https://t.co/CQVTUYiuVI
— allie. (@g0ldcage) April 26, 2023

@g0ldcage / Disney / Everett Collection

why’d they make flounder skinny he was a plump king what goes on…. https://t.co/8pmKRMySQG
— mika (@verycoolg1rl) April 26, 2023

@verycoolg1rl / Disney / Everett Collection

I’m not sorry to say that flounder looks very depressed and dehydrated. A v sad example of the plenty of fish your bestie warned you of. https://t.co/9TsqHBR6Vs
— Sorab Haldar (@thebigbongraw) April 26, 2023

@thebigbongraw / Disney / Everett Collection

WAIT THIS IS ACTUALLY FLOUNDER IN THE MOVIE AND NOT A SICK JOKE pic.twitter.com/RWUygrZ5JP
— a well-respected man about town (@abirlios) April 26, 2023

@abirlios / Disney / Everett Collection

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"The Little Mermaid" Star Jacob Tremblay Responded After Fans Criticized Flounder's "Skinny" Redesign In The New Live-Action Film

When the posters for the live-action Little Mermaid were released last month, people were shocked to see what Disney did to Flounder.

Many expected him to look sort of like this, with the same vibrant blue and yellow hue and big, googly eyes from the animated movie:

But instead, he turned out all scraggly and discolored, like this:

It was an outrage, immediately.

But one person who supports Flounder's redesign is Jacob Tremblay.

The actor — who voices Flounder in the film — addressed the backlash in an interview with People, sharing that he thinks the look "works out perfectly."

"I was shown the design when I went in for the audition and I saw the movie last night and, I have to say that I think it really, really worked," Jacob, 16, shared.

"I think that they were geniuses and they knew exactly what they were doing. And I think it works out perfectly. I think it matches everything. So if it was different, I don't think it would really work."

At the time of the unveiling, Disney also shared posters for Sebastian, Scuttle, Prince Eric, and Ursula, which you can see here. And you can see the film itself (and our poor little Flounder) when it releases on May 26.

"The Little Mermaid" Star Jacob Tremblay Responded After Fans Criticized Flounder's "Skinny" Redesign In The New Live-Action Film

When the posters for the live-action Little Mermaid were released last month, people were shocked to see what Disney did to Flounder.

Many expected him to look sort of like this, with the same vibrant blue and yellow hue and big, googly eyes from the animated movie:

But instead, he turned out all scraggly and discolored, like this:

It was an outrage, immediately.

But one person who supports Flounder's redesign is Jacob Tremblay.

The actor — who voices Flounder in the film — addressed the backlash in an interview with People, sharing that he thinks the look "works out perfectly."

"I was shown the design when I went in for the audition and I saw the movie last night and, I have to say that I think it really, really worked," Jacob, 16, shared.

"I think that they were geniuses and they knew exactly what they were doing. And I think it works out perfectly. I think it matches everything. So if it was different, I don't think it would really work."

At the time of the unveiling, Disney also shared posters for Sebastian, Scuttle, Prince Eric, and Ursula, which you can see here. And you can see the film itself (and our poor little Flounder) when it releases on May 26.

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