After the success of The Jungle Book, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, the Disney live action remake train has no end in sight. In a few months, the live action version of Dumbo hits theaters, which will be followed by Aladdin and The Lion King. After that, you can look forward to live-action versions of Lady and the Tramp, Mulan and Pinocchio.
What will Disney do when they run out of animated movies to remake? I hope they start making live-action versions of all those crappy direct-to-dvd sequels, like the Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, Pocahontas 2: Journey To A New World, and Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World! Or maybe they'll make animated remakes of the live action remakes, and pop culture will officially become an ouroboros.
Currently the Mouse House is planning a live-action version of The Little Mermaid, because of course they are. In the 1989 classic, rebellious ginger mermaid princess Ariel is fascinated by life on land, and falls in love with a human prince after saving him from drowning. In the underwater city of Atlantis, she strikes a dangerous deal with Ursula the sea witch to turn human for three days, but at the cost of losing her beautiful voice. And there's a song called Kiss The Girl that probably sounds creepy now.
So far, Disney has not announced any official casting news, but one red-headed actress is already volunteering for the part: Lindsay Lohan, best known for her roles in The Parent Trap, Mean Girls, and some of California's finest rehabilitation facilities. In an interview with Variety, the actress said, "The Little Mermaid' is my favorite movie since I was a kid. Whenever I put that movie on, it makes me happy. I'm like, 'Everybody, stop. Watch this movie.'" She added, "I'm going to harass my agent about it after this."
This isn't the first time Lohan has declared her interest in this project. Last August, she shared a photo of Ariel and Ursula on her Instagram story and said she'd love to play Ariel, with acting legend Meryl Streep playing Ursula. Well, that's certainly an idea, Lindsay! I assume in this version of The Little Mermaid, Ariel will give up her voice for cocaine, instead of the ability to walk on land.
The film is still in the early stages of development, so there are not many details available. All we know is that original composer Alan Menken is returning and Mary Poppins Returns star Lin-Manuel Miranda will be involved, doing all those Lin-Manuel Miranda things. (I can't wait to her Sebastian's raps!) That Hashtag Show reported that Zendaya was offered the role of Ariel, but Disney has not commented on that speculation.
Lohan is currently starring in the MTV reality show Lindsay Lohan's Beach House, but she would like to return to acting in movies. She told Variety she's still lobbying to make a sequel to Mean Girls, the hit 2003 teen comedy written by Tina Fey, produced by Lorne Michaels, and starring Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, Lizzy Kapan, and Amy Poehler, among others.
"If anyone has asked for this more than I have, please tell me," said Lohan. "I've said it so many times, and so many people have asked me, and I think we'd have so much fun doing it... Tina and Lorne are so amazing, and to bring everyone back together would be great. Last time I was in New York, I went up to Lorne, and I was like, 'Please!' It's in their hands."
