After the announcement of Bailey's involvement in July 2019 and the release of first teaser in September 2022, the film gained mixed responses from the public for casting an African-American actress as Ariel, who was originally Caucasian with red hair in the 1989 animated film.

When did the black Ariel come out?

After 34 years, Disney returns under the sea with its live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, premeiring in theaters on May 26. The new version stars Halle Bailey, most known for her role in the Grammy-nominated Chloe x Halle R&B duo, as Ariel in the actress's first starring feature film role.

What race is Ariel supposed to be?

The movie is loosely based on the fairy tale, so Disney has the freedom to give Ariel any skin color they want. In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish.

What Colour was the original Ariel?

Which brings me to Ariel, the heroine of a 1989 animated Disney film, “The Little Mermaid” based on the 1837 Hans Christian Anderson story of the same name. In Anderson's telling and the original Disney film, the mermaid possessed white skin.

Will Ariel be black at Disney World?

Upon the casting of singer and actress Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel, Disney was branded as pushing its diversity and inclusion efforts, walking that thin line of political correctness. Bailey, a Black actress, takes on the role of the singing mermaid made famous by Jodi Benson.

Disney making The Little Mermaid black

Why is Ariel closed at Disney World?

Since 1992, the character that launched Disney Animation's revival in the late 1980s has starred in puppet-driven show in Animation Courtyard at Disney's Hollywood Studios. "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" closed along with the rest of the Walt Disney World Resort in March 2020, due to the pandemic.

What color skin is Ariel cartoon?

Physical appearance. Ariel is a beautiful adolescent mermaid with an hourglass figure, fair skin, red lips, red hair, and large, aqua-blue eyes.

What race is Ariel original?

In the original 1989 Disney animated classic, Ariel's character is White, with straight red hair.

Was Ariel's mother a human?

Will snow white be black?

In the new, 2024 Disney adaptation of the classic fairy tale, Snow White will be played by Latina actress Rachel Zegler despite her name and the former popular depictions of the princess.

Why did Disney make Ariel black?

Sampson also explained the additional significance of having a black mermaid due to the societal assumption that black people don't swim. She pointed out that this is only the case because black people were systematically denied the opportunity to learn to swim for centuries.

What ethnicity is Cinderella?

Cinderella – France

Although the Disney classic doesn't explicitly state her nationality, her story is derived from Charles Perrault's French fairy tale “Cendrillon.” The grandeur of her royal ball and the charming château reflect the opulence of France's royal history.

What race is Moana?

Moana as she appears in Moana (2016). Inspired by Polynesian mythology, Moana is depicted as the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti.

How much did Halle get paid for The Little Mermaid?

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 Ursula Triton's sister?

Ursula was played by Melissa McCarthy in the 2023 live action remake of The Little Mermaid, directed by Rob Marshall. In this version, like with the Broadway musical, Ursula is the estranged younger sister of King Triton (played by Javier Bardem), thus making her the paternal aunt to Ariel and her sisters in this film.

What is the original Dark Ariel story?

The original story behind The Little Mermaid

The Sea Witch informs her that if she kills the prince she will turn back into a mermaid and live, but Ariel chooses to sacrifice herself, throwing herself into the sea and becoming sea foam.

Was Ariel's mom crushed?

Most of the mermaids and mermen escape safely, but Attina, the oldest princess, gets her tail stuck between two rocks. Athena is able to free her, but she is crushed to death by the ship while trying to save the music box, and the ship sinks after hitting the rocks. Athena's death leaves Triton completely devastated.

Why is Ursula not a mermaid?

Betrayed and developing great hate against the human and her father, Ursula decided she no longer wanted to be a mermaid and used her father's trident to transform her fishtail into tentacles, becoming the Sea Witch.

Why do Ariel's sisters look different?

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.

What is Prince Eric's nationality?

It is never stated in the movie what exactly is the country of origin for Prince Eric. The creators of the movie stated that they got ideas for his castle from Italian, France, and Algerian architecture, so there is a combination of Mediterranean cultures. I always assumed that he was the Prince of Denmark.

Is Ariel's dad Poseidon?

Since Ariel in The Little Mermaid is Triton's daughter, and according to Greek mythology, Triton is the son of Poseidon, this makes Ariel the granddaughter of Poseidon. And who else is on that family tree? None other than Hercules's father Zeus, who is the brother of Poseidon.

Who was the first black Ariel?

Disney's live-action version of the 1989 animated classic 'The Little Mermaid' hits theaters on Friday. This highly-anticipated film is also marking a moment in Disney history with Halle Bailey as the first Black Ariel.

What color skin did the original Little Mermaid have?

In the original Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen the protagonist is described as having skin that 'was as clear and delicate as a rose-leaf'. So unless you want Ariel snot green, please stop pretending your 'concerns' are about authorial intent.

Is Ariel a natural redhead?

“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. To get the look, Halle Bailey worked with hairstylist Camille Friend to dye her roots red and wrap her locks in the same hued hair.

Is The Little Mermaid dark?

The Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale is a very grim story, featuring all kinds of gruesome elements that wouldn't fit well into a family-friendly animated film. Disney's version of the tale is now more well-known than Andersen's, with the darker details being stuck in the original story.