The Little Mermaid (live-action remake)
Instagram may have been down on Wednesday, but it didn’t stop social media users from celebrating when news broke that Halle Bailey (the younger half of music duo Chloe x Halle) had been cast as Ariel in the upcoming live-action version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Of course, this is after those who were unfamiliar with the grown-ish star realized they’d misread headlines and that Disney did not in fact hand the role to Oscar-winning star Halle Berry.
While some anticipated there would be anger over the casting news…
The response on Twitter for the most part has been people celebrating all the possibilities that open up with Disney casting a black woman as the iconic mermaid.
Fellow Disney (and Spider-Man: Far From Home and Euphoria) star Zendaya, who was once rumored to play Ariel, tweeted the casting news saying that she’s here for it.
And Bailey herself, from her music group’s account, tweeted that the chance to play Ariel is a dream come true.
Bailey is the only actor Disney has confirmed as starring in the upcoming live-action remake, which is expected to go into production in 2020. Rumors are already swirling that Melissa McCarthy will play sea witch Ursula, Jacob Tremblay will play Flounder, and Awkwafina will play Scuttle.
Related content:
- Who is Halle Bailey? Watch The Little Mermaid star’s best performances before she plays Ariel
- Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid casts Halle Bailey as Ariel
- Beyoncé protégés Chloe x Halle make their grown-ish debut in exclusive clip
