'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A snippet of the much anticipated live-action Disney movie The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey was released at the Disney 23 expo. Netizens were stunned to see the acclaimed R&B singer take on the lead role of the mermaid princess Ariel. Social media has since been flooded with fans applauding the singer for her performance.
In the brief trailer, one can see Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel, giving fans a glimpse into her CGI fish tail as it flits through the underwater world. As the trailer progresses, Bailey croons the hit soundtrack Part Of Your World, which was originally created by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Netizens were left floored by the sneak peek of the film.
Halle Bailey was cast in the film in 2019, which went on to amass massive backlash on social media. Followers of the movie were not keen to see the Black singer cast as Ariel, who was depicted as white in the original film.
During the Disney expo, director Rob Marshal stated that the 22-year-old “came in and claimed the role.”
Netizens react to Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid trailer
Social media was flooded with praise for the acclaimed R&B singer, who was mentored by Beyoncé. Netizens were enamored with the singer turned actress’ dulcet singing. Many wrote online that Halle Bailey played a beautiful black mermaid. A few tweets online read:
Cast of The Little Mermaid explored
Along with Halle Bailey playing the role of Ariel in the live-action of The Little Mermaid, Melissa McCarthy will star as the conniving sea witch Ursula, Javier Bardem will play the overprotective father King Triton, and Jonah Hauer-King will be taking on the role of Prince Eric. Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, and Jacob Tremblay will be playing the musical crab, seagull Scuttle, and iconic Flounder, respectively.
The movie is directed by Rob Marshall, who has previously worked on Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns.
The Little Mermaid is adapted from the 1989 John Musker and Ron Clements movie, based on the original 19th century Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Little Mermaid.
The film depicts Ariel, the youngest daughter of King Triton, the ruler of the underwater kingdom Atlantica. Ariel expresses a desire to venture out of the sea into the world of humans and she ends up meeting the handsome Prince Eric as she saves him from a shipwreck. The story showcases her conflict with her father, who wishes to protect his daughter from the world above water and how she manages to escape the evil sea witch, Ursula.
In an interview with Variety, Bailey expressed how she loved the original film and was encouraged by her grandmother to take on the role despite amassing criticism online. Halle Bailey said in the interview that her grandma reminded her of the significance of seeing a Black princess on the big screen. She further added:
“It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, telling me, ‘You don’t understand what this is doing for us, for our community, for all the little Black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you’”
The Little Mermaid will be releasing in theaters on May 26, 2023.
