Javier Bardem shares details about his song “Impossible Child,” which was cut from The Little Mermaid. Bardem plays King Triton, who didn’t have a song in the original animated Little Mermaid. The song could have shed light on the relationship between King Triton and Ariel from the father’s perspective, which isn’t heavily explored in the animated movie.
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant for The Little Mermaid, Bardem discussed his cut song. He revealed that they wrote it and filmed the entire song before cutting it. Bardem hinted at how it would have changed King Triton’s ending to a degree, but promised it will be released in the future. Check out the full quote and interview below:
Javier Bardem: It’s called “Impossible Child.” It’s an original song from Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. We worked very hard on doing it. It was a beautiful process and a very scary one as we both know, but always accompanied by the amazing talent around you. It was shot. It is beautifully shot, but it’s true that in terms of how the character ends the story if the song was included it would have changed a little bit what the end for the character is. It’s gonna be released as an extra when the movie comes out.
How King Triton’s Song Could Have Changed His Arc In The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid adaptation includes a number of new songs, but it seems one didn’t quite make the cut. “Impossible Child” seems like the perfect title for a King Triton song given his inability to understand his youngest daughter. Throughout the animated Little Mermaid, their relationship is fraught with tension as Ariel defies her father to explore the surface world and falls for a human. Triton, motivated by grief and fear, pushes her farther away straight into the arms of the manipulative Ursula.
The question of how this song could have changed Triton’s arc in The Little Mermaid is interesting to contemplate because, by the end, as is true for nearly all Disney movies, Triton and Ariel have moved past their differences and learned to better understand one another. A King Triton song could have shed new light on his perspective beyond that of an angry parent.
Perhaps it would have made his ability to move past his concerns seem more unlikely, especially if it delved into how he has struggled after the death of his wife, both with his hatred of the surface world and in raising Ariel. However, it seems audiences won’t have to wonder forever. Bardem reveals that the song will be released at some point, potentially with the eventual home entertainment release of The Little Mermaid.
