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.
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.
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.
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.
Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Trailer Sparks Racist Remarks
Why are Ariel's sisters different ethnicities?
So, why the change? 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.
Why did Disney make Ariel black if she is white in the original film? In the original danish fairytale the little mermaid was explicitly specified as white several times.
Controversies. 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.
People of color have been sharing videos of their children's excited reactions to the new Ariel, and reactions posted online showed the importance of diverse representation. In the Little Mermaid TV series, Gabriella was a Black mermaid who looked up to Ariel as a big sister.
Black mermaids are embedded in African diasporic history, Davis said. They originate in African cosmology, thousands of years ago, meant to honor the sacred nature of water. Among those revered is a water goddess known as Mami Wata.
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.
In the movie The Little Mermaid (Clements & Musker, 1989), Ariel displays symptoms of disposophobia, which is defined as the fear of getting rid of things.
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.
Halle Lynn Bailey (born March 27, 2000) is an American singer and actress. She is best known for portraying Ariel in the 2023 live-action film The Little Mermaid.
The people who made the cartoon version decided to make her white and redheaded. The people who made the live action decided to cast a brown girl with black hair. Neither decision is right or wrong. Why is the original The Little Mermaid so dark and tragic unlike Disney's version?
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.
There are several instances when Eric's mother Queen Salina (Noma Dumezweni), who is Black and adopted him as a child when he washed up from the ocean, chastises him for his obvious love for beings that are considered other.
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.
In the animated film, Ursula was a villain who enjoyed messing with people and getting what she wanted. In The Little Mermaid live-action, however, Ursula's backstory gets an adjustment — she is upgraded to Triton's sister and Ariel's aunt, making her revenge and motivations all the more sinister.
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.
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.
