Halle Bailey, star of Disney's live-action Little Mermaid, shared the first official photo of Ariel.
"and just like that..that’s a wrap," Bailey wrote on Instagram. "after auditioning for this film when i was 18 just about to turn 19 , to now finishing filming through a pandemic when i turned 21 ..we have finally made it... i feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory..it has been the toughest experience being away from everything and everyone i’ve ever known, to feeling self doubt/ loneliness, but also feeling such freedom and perseverance as i’ve reached the end. this experience has made me so much stronger than i ever thought i could be."
Bailey went on to express gratitude for her co-stars, including Jonah Haur-King (Prince Eric), Jacob Tremblay (Flounder), Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Daveed Diggs (Sebastian) and more.
A live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid entered early development in 2016, and Bailey was cast in the lead role three years later. While the announcement was met with controversy for casting a person of color as a mermaid depicted as white in the animated film, Bailey largely ignored the backlash. "I feel like I'm dreaming and I'm just grateful and I don't pay attention to the negativity," the actor explained. "I just feel like, you know, this role is something bigger than me, and greater, and it's gonna be beautiful. I'm just so excited to be a part of it, and, yeah."
Disney's live-action Little Mermaid stars Halle Baily as Ariel. The film has yet to receive a release date.
Source: Instagram