We are coming up on the release of The Little Mermaid, Disney’s live-action remake of the original animated film released in 1989. The new film features Halle Bailey as Ariel, the first live-action incarnation of the character. Going by the projections for the film, which is expected to be one of the highest-grossing movies of the year, there’s a great deal of interest that has been generated with filmgoers for the remake. With that said, it’s also not hard to find harsh comments on social media from people heavily criticizing the casting. Some say the casting is part of the filmmakers’ “woke” agenda, feeling perturbed that the live-action Ariel is Black while the original cartoon version was white.
While the online critics may prefer their fictional mermaids to be more light-skinned, Bailey’s casting has also clearly meant a great deal to countless young children. It’s even had Bailey herself thinking about how big of a deal that would have been for her when she was that age. Speaking about her casting in a new interview with the L.A. Times, Bailey stressed just how important this casting is for diversity, as she says in the interview:
“If I would have seen a Black mermaid when I was younger, it would have changed my whole life. My whole perspective on how I feel about myself, my self-worth, my confidence, everything.”
Bailey has seen some of the backlash, which she admits was not surprising at all, albeit a bit “disappointing.” She was able to move past it by focusing on the positive response to her casting, which has far outweighed the small but vocal online critics expressing their displeasure on the internet. As Bailey explains:
“The racism didn’t surprise me. It’s a little disappointing, but it’s bound to happen. I didn’t let it affect me and just focused on the positive response I was getting. This moment is so much bigger than any of that. Especially for the Black and brown babies out there, I hope they feel filled with love and confidence in who they are, because it’s essential that they see themselves in roles like these.”
Playing Ariel Has Helped Halle Bailey Grow
Playing Ariel has also helped teach Bailey a thing or two about herself. She opened up about how she was much more shy before taking on the high-profile role of the live-action version of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, but over the course of bringing the mermaid to life, Bailey has come out of the production feeling much better about herself.
“Going into the film, I was more timid and shy, but like Ariel, I ended up having to come out of my shell. I gained so much confidence and courage to speak up for what I need; I came out a different, more mature human being. I really feel like Ariel taught me how to find my voice.”
The Little Mermaid will be released in movie theaters on May 26, 2023.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
