She created an Ariel wig for the visual effects team to reference for designing the CGI underwater sequences. She also had a physical trick up her sleeve for those billowing under-the-sea hair moments: Friend incorporated a "mono-filament," similar to a malleable wire base, to create structure.
In 1989, the year the film was released, her character was seen with light orange/strawberry blonde hair. Of course, people loved the movie and Ariel, and viewers expected the dolls and the character actors to match the movie. This is why Ariel was soon represented with the same shade of red hair in every way possible.
A major part of Halle Bailey's transformation for "The Little Mermaid" was her hair! The actress turned into a redhead to get into character as the beloved Disney princess Ariel. Keeping her locs was meaningful to Halle. She told Ebony magazine, "It was super important for me to have my natural hair in this film …
In order to ensure that the actors looked like they were floating in the water, the crew used a technique known as "wet-to-dry". This involved a series of rigs, wires, tuning forks, and seesaws. A similar set of techniques was used in James Wan's Aquaman (2018), which also created underwater scenes with a blue screen.
The Little Mermaid was the studio's final full-length animated film that utilized the traditional method of hand-inked and hand-painted cels. Afterward, Disney leaned into a mix of digital animation and hand-drawn work.
How Disney's Animated Hair Became So Realistic, From 'Tangled' To 'Encanto' | Movies Insider
How did they animate The Little Mermaid?
Characters were drawn on cels and superimposed on a fixed background image to reduce the number of reproductions necessary to produce an animation. The Little Mermaid was the last Disney feature film to use this hand-drawn method of animation.
The hair that was added was Keratin-infused, three different shades of red, and 30 inches long — which meant the price tag was high. “I'm not guesstimating, but we probably spent at least $150,000 because we had to redo it and take it out," Friend said.
The physical transformation of Halle did take some time, effort, and money to help her become the character of Ariel. According to Variety, Halle Bailey wished to stay true to her Black heritage and show her natural hair in the movie. So, hair extensions were used rather than a wig.
Halle Bailey was committed to perfecting Ariel's iconic hair flip in “The Little Mermaid”. The shot, which is seen in the trailer for the upcoming live action Disney movie, was so challenging that it took the actress an entire day to get it right.
On the significance of casting a Black actress as Ariel
Sherri Hope Culver: To have a Disney character who is not just a princess but a live-action, real flesh and blood person that children can be inspired by is important. This is because people of color are less likely to see themselves reflected in the media.
Halle added that her and The Little Mermaid decided to keep Ariel's red hair because that's a “very iconic part of her”. “But I really did admire the fact that because I'm a Black woman and I have locs, [the producers] wanted to incorporate that into Ariel's look,” she added.
The sea-green color of Ariel's mermaid tail was a hue specially mixed by the Disney paint lab; the color was named "Ariel" after the character. The choice of red as Ariel's hair color was the subject of dispute between the filmmakers and studio executives who wanted the character to have blonde hair.
One theory is that each of Ariel's sisters represents different oceans that are home to various cultures and ethnicities. It's pretty problematic to have mermaids who all look the same representing such an expansive underwater world.
In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish. As Ariel is half fish, she cannot be categorized by our ethnicities and races.
Christie Brinkley was one of the inspirations for Ariel's look in 1989's "The Little Mermaid." Ariel was even originally designed as a blonde mermaid. You can see above how Brinkley's hair from the late '80s would've inspired some of Ariel's appearance.
How much did Halle Bailey's hair cost in Little Mermaid?
Halle Bailey's hair transformation for The Little Mermaid cost production at least $150,000, according to her hairstylist Camille Friend: “It was a process.” Disney spared no expense making The Little Mermaid part of our world.
According to Showbiz Galore, she was reportedly paid $1.5 million to don the tail and seashells, though some news outlets reported slightly more modest earnings of $500,000. Despite the online backlash about casting a Black Ariel, this project made Halle Bailey a household name, especially among young Disney fans.
Is Halle Bailey really singing in The Little Mermaid?
So far, Halle Bailey has received glowing reviews for her portrayal of Ariel with audiences impressed by her amazing voice singing the classic “A Part of Your World.” “This song has meant so much to so many of us for so long,” Bailey explained to KTLA 5's Sam Rubin on Monday.
In the original, Ariel's character has fire-engine red hair. By contrast, in the live-action version, Ariel's hair appears to be a more muted shade of red.
Obviously, modifications are required anytime you adapt animation to live-action, but Bailey and the beauty department had to reimagine Ariel as a woman of color too. Bailey and the team opted to keep her hair red—that was essential—but opted for copper locs to make it her own.
How did they film The Little Mermaid hair Underwater?
Tim explained that there were wet hair tests. and also dry hair tests. where wind was used to simulate how the hair would move. and that for this film, outside of the actors faces, most of the underwater scenes are completely CGI.
Friend added loose hair in with Bailey's locs to create even more fluidity and give her that mermaid-like look. "Once we doubled [the loose hair] and we put her in the water and all that hair was dancing, we were there." CGI, visual effects, and the hair department worked hand in hand throughout the entire film.
The decision to change Scuttle's species was made in order to elevate Ariel's narrative and create a more impactful moment when she breaches the water's edge. Scuttle's new design as a sea-diving bird allows Ariel to meet him in the water and obtain information about the surface, altering their routine meetings.
