Halle Bailey hopes to inspire ‘Black and Brown’ children as ‘Little Mermaid’ lead
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Halle Bailey stars as Ariel in the live-action remake of the “The Little Mermaid” (Credit: EEW Magazine Online)
Black American singer, Halle Bailey, says she is “honored” to play Ariel in the live-action remake of "The Little Mermaid” and hopes to inspire “Black and Brown children” in her lead role.
"My hopes for this film are just for people to take away such love and joy and happiness when they leave and especially for all of the Black and brown little boys and girls to be able to see themselves being represented on such a big scale," Bailey told Reuters.
“I'm just honored to be in this position,” she added.
While there was a racist backlash online when the film's trailer was released last year, many videos have since been posted showing how excited Black children are to see a Black Disney princess.
What’s more, the excitement does not stop with the children. Parents and film critics who have seen the film are showering 23-year-old Bailey with high praise for her portrayal of the mermaid princess. Ahead of its May 26 debut, director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca held a private screening of the film.
According to Variety, “The star-studded audience applauded after each musical number and continued to rave during a post-screening reception.”
The original story, first published in 1837, follows a 14-year-old mythical creature on her harrowing quest to find true love. To make her dreams come true, the beautiful creature of the sea visits the Sea Witch, Ursula, and strikes a deal swapping her beautiful voice and tongue for human legs. With numerous plot twists and difficult choices to make, the entertaining story has stood the test of time.
The updated musical features original songs from the 1989 animated hit as well as new tunes from original composer Alan Menken and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Some of the tunes include “Under the Sea,” ″Part of Your World” and “Kiss the Girl.” Along with Bailey and Melissa McCarthy, the cast also includes Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, Jacob Tremblay voicing Flounder, Daveed Diggs voicing Sebastian and Awkwafina voicing Scuttle.
