The remake opens with a quote from the author of the original fairy tale upon which Disney's adaptations are based.
"But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more."
During the movie's virtual press conference, attended by Insider, director Rob Marshall explained why he chose to use the quote in the remake.
"We were immediately aware of how this was a very contemporary story already in the 1830s about a girl who feels displaced," Marshall said in response to a question from The Direct. "To be able to find something from Hans Christian Anderson specifically so we sort of ground this in where it came from was important to find something from him."
Marshall added: "It's the most sort of famous quote from the tale. And I have to say because I think we were bringing more depth and emotion, which you can in a live-action piece, that's what this genre helps you do. The idea that because a mermaid has no tears, and she feels more, she suffers more, it felt to us like it set the table for this more emotional telling of the story."