If you’ve ever seen The Little Mermaid, then you’ve undoubtedly fallen in love with Max, Prince Eric’s loyal and loving Old English Sheepdog.
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Max, an essential character in The Little Mermaid
While a non-speaking character, Max is essential to the storyline. In fact, because he needed rescuing during the shipwreck, he’s the whole reason Eric and Ariel "meet" for the first time!
Later in the film, Max is the one who finds Eric washed up on the shore. Then, when Ariel is found on the beach, Max tries to tell his oblivious owner that she’s the mystery girl he’s been looking for! At the end of the movie, when Vanessa and Eric are about to get married, Max takes things into his own paws and bites the evil sea witch, ultimately helping to restore Ariel’s voice. Basically, Max is an essential character.
Why is Max not an Old English Sheepdog in The Little Mermaid remake?
In the 1989 Disney classic, Max is an Old English Sheepdog. But in the live remake, he’s a completely different breed! Though he doesn’t have much screen time, it looks as though the chosen dog is simply a mutt, and it has upset many fans of the Old English Sheepdog:
"Not even an Old English… what a joke" , said one user.
"Don’t see why they couldn’t use Max’s actual breed in the movie!!! So mad I’m like where’s max!!! How hard can it be to cast Max!!", said another.
The reason they didn’t cast an Old English Sheepdog is unclear. After all, the breed is very intelligent and easy to train - perfect for an acting role. But perhaps an English herding breed didn’t make much sense in a movie that takes place in the Caribbean.
And besides, while the dog wasn’t an Old English, he still had a super fluffy coat. And he was super cute too! A dog is better than no dog we always say! And most fans of the movie agree.
Have you seen The Little Mermaid remake yet?
