Halle Bailey talks about why she decided to join Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid as Ariel. The upcoming movie wrapped filming in July 2021 after several delays due to COVID-19. Directed by Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns, Into the Woods), the film is the next in Disney's roster of live-action adaptations of animated classics. Based on comments from cast and crew members, it seems that the live-action version of the film will take some liberties with the source material in order to empower the character of Ariel. Bailey's casting in The Little Mermaid was originally announced in 2019.
Prior to her casting as Ariel, Bailey had some acting experience, including a stint as a series regular on Freeform's Grown-ish. Bailey has an active musical career as well, making up half of the duo Chloe x Halle along with her older sister. Despite Bailey's musical talent and acting prowess, her casting as Ariel was met with backlash by keyboard warriors who complained that a Black person could not possibly play the fair-skinned mermaid. Bailey continues to handle the Little Mermaid controversy with grace.
In an interview with Variety, Bailey sheds light on some of her reasons for agreeing to the role, as well as mentioning her grandparents' pride that she would be representing her community through her acting. See what she had to say below:
I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that they’re special, and that they should be a princess in every single way. There’s no reason that they shouldn’t be. That reassurance was something that I needed... What that would have done for me, how that would have changed my confidence, my belief in myself, everything.
Her comments are especially impactful when one takes into account that out of over a dozen actors to be crowned Disney princesses, only one besides Bailey is Black—Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. This means that generations of girls have grown up without the representation that every community deserves. Bailey's cause is noble, and it's heartening to see her receive support from others dedicated to furthering diversity and inclusion in media amid the backlash she's faced for her Little Mermaid role, including Zendaya. With this high-profile adaptation being Bailey's first time leading a feature, it is impressive to see her navigate the pressure.
As the film and television industries adapt to better portray the modern world, casting backlash controversies like the one Bailey endured have unfortunately become more and more common. Luckily, it's clear that Bailey was more than prepared to stand firm in her decision to take on the role and for good reason. After all, remakes are often best remembered when they put a creative spin on the original source material. Though little is known about the upcoming film, plenty of details have been teased, including Bailey's red-headed look, an updated, contemporary story, and Marshall's out-of-the-box approach to The Little Mermaid's filmmaking process. The movie is scheduled to be released on May 26th, 2023.
Source: Variety