As the saying goes, there's plenty of fish in the sea, but it seems there's only one Flounder for fans of "The Little Mermaid."
Thinking back to the 1989 animated movie, nostalgics can picture the character among his friends: A small but stout yellow and blue fish, tagging along with the bright red crab with a big mouth, and the white seagull with a visibly eccentric attitude.
But now, as Disney has been gradually revealing character posters for its live-action "The Little Mermaid," that collective memory of the classic characters might become a thing of the past.
Though all of the talking animals are getting a more realistic look — notably Sebastian the crab's beadier eyes and Scuttle the seagull's sharp beak — fans on social media seem to be the most confused when it comes to Flounder.
One Twitter user said they put the now slim character "on Ozempic." Another called him their "sleep paralysis demon." And one person said Disney needs to "find the balance between realistic remakes and preserving the magic of animations."
That's a take many people shared when comparing this film to Disney's other live-action remakes, like "The Lion King" or "Beauty and the Beast." Most fans then and now are content with how the terrifying beast and the regal lions match up to the animated versions.
And it's something to look out for with the upcoming "Lilo & Stitch" live-action remake, set for a 2024 release. Still in early production, there's not much information about how Stitch will look around all the humans, but Chris Sanders, who wrote the original film and voiced the character, is set to return to voice.
Disney's live-action "The Little Mermaid" swims into theaters May 26. Here's a look at some of the other updated characters.
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