The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey opened up about the film's feminist spin on the iconic character.

Speaking to Edition magazine, Bailey said of Ariel in the upcoming film, "I'm really excited for my version of the film because we've definitely changed that perspective of just her wanting to leave the ocean for a boy," she offered. "It's way bigger than that. It's about herself, her purpose, her freedom, her life and what she wants… As women we are amazing, we are independent, we are modern, we are everything and above. And I'm glad that Disney is updating some of those themes."

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Bailey is set to star as Ariel in the hotly anticipated live-action remake of Disney's 1989 animated classic based on the 1873 Hans Christian Andersen novel of the same name. The film also includes Jonah Hauher-King as Prince Eric and Javier Bardem as Ariel's father, King Triton. Actors Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina will also respectively appear as the voices of the film's animated supporting cast of Ariel's crab confidant Sebastian, Ariel's fish friend Flounder, and seagull and self-proclaimed expert on all things human Scuttle. Melissa McCarthy, who portrays the villainous Ursula, has reportedly been lauded as the unexpected star of the show by early test audiences.

The Live-Action Little Mermaid Reactions

Test audiences also reportedly hailed Bailey's Ariel as excellent despite the online backlash the film has suffered following her casting. Back in December 2022, director Rob Marshall commented on the criticisms offered by those who were offended by the casting, saying, "I wasn't anticipating that because, in a way, I felt like we've moved so far past that kind of thing." Marshall added, "But then you realize, in a way we haven't. It was very moving to me to see how important this kind of casting is for the world."

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Bailey opened up about the Little Mermaid backlash, saying she saw it coming from the very start. "As a Black person, you just expect it and it's not really a shock anymore," Bailey said. "I know people are like, 'It's not about race.' But now that I'm her... People don't understand that when you're Black there's this whole other community. It's so important for us to see ourselves."

The Little Mermaid is set to begin making waves in theaters on May 26.

Source: Edition