How ‘The Little Mermaid’ Influenced ‘Wonder Woman’

Allan Heinberg, screenwriter of the upcoming DC Extended Universe film 'Wonder Woman' reveals that 'The Little Mermaid' helped inspire the story.

Wonder Woman Little MermaidBased off of the trailers and TV spots for the upcoming Wonder Woman film, the story finds Diana Prince as a fish out of water. Many comic book fans have likened the plot to both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger – the former because of the fish-out-of-water aspect and the latter due to the period piece setting.

As it turns out, there was a certain story that helped influence Allan Heinberg in writing the screenplay for the new film. In fact, it was particularly the Disney version of this classic fairy tale that served as an inspiration for Wonder Woman. 

Heinberg was of course, referring to the Hans Christian Andersen classic, The Little Mermaid. 

The story as I see it is The Little Mermaid, specifically Disney’s incarnation. This is a woman who has been raised in a very protective, sheltered life, she’s curious about what life is like outside and she wants to have her own experience. She wants to be where the people are.

Seeing Wonder Woman out of her island of Themyscria showcases that she is about to embark on an adventure that help bring her to her destiny. Given that in The Little Mermaid, we see Ariel embark on an adventure beyond her known realm that will significantly alter her life, it sure seems like both these protagonists are quite similar.

Hopefully, Heinberg is also hinting at a live-action adaptation of the “Kiss the Girl” sequence, but this time with Diana and Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) together. A man can dream, right?

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana meets an American pilot who tells her about the massive conflict that’s raging in the outside world. Convinced that she can stop the threat, Diana leaves her home for the first time. Fighting alongside men in a war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers and true destiny.

Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis, Saïd Taghamoui and Ewen Bremmer, Wonder Woman is in theaters on June 2, 2017.

Source: EW

 

Noah Villaverde

Noah Villaverde

Cinema lover. Saxophone player. Coffee consumer. Chronic complainer. Oh, I also write. #TeamHeroic