22-year-old singer Halle Bailey, who is short at 1.55 meters, has made a remarkable history: she is the first real woman to play the role of the mermaid “Ariel”. What makes a cast so special? She is also the first black person to play the main Disney character in a live adaptation.
A 90-second trailer for the movie has now been released. Reviews? Just heartbreaking! A number of mothers and fathers have taken to social media to show how their young black daughters interact with the beautiful actress.
“She’s a build like me!” Says one of the girls, wide-eyed fascinated by the new mermaid when she first saw the joke. Another immediately starts radiating, then jumps up and down and claps her hands.
Bailey, who was clearly affected, shared some clips on her Instagram account. “People have been sending me these reactions all weekend and I was really touched. Seeing the reactions of the little ones makes me so emotional. It means so much to me. Thanks for the unwavering support,” writes Bailey.
Even before filming began, the young talent had to put up with a great deal of criticism on the Internet, and sometimes even hate. why? The hashtag “#notmyarielle” (German: “Not my Arielle”) was distributed on the Internet. The character is still remembered as the red-haired white girl.
As a dark-skinned mermaid, Halle Bailey doesn’t seem to fit the image of some viewers. This is exactly what Disney wants to change and therefore it is increasingly focusing on diversity in its films.
“Inclusion isn’t just a priority, it’s an imperative for us, and it’s at the forefront of every single project,” said Sean Bailey, the 52-year-old head of Disney film production, in a previous interview.Hollywood Reporters“.
Creative director John Lasseter, 65, added: “It’s very important for us to have female and ethnic characters.” At the time, he confirmed that we wanted to show more films in which the film’s protagonists are black. “It has become more and more important over time. As you will see in future films, we are really paying attention to that.”
Have they implemented this yet? While Disney has clearly prioritized diversity since 2016 with animated films such as Moana, Encanto, and Coco, there has so far been only one black novel heroine: Princess Tiana. This is also why Halle Bailey is so important as the first black woman in a live-action Disney movie.
“The three days I spent filming ‘Part of Your World’ were the best experience of my life – feeling all the feelings you feel, the emotions, the unease. I went through so many different feelings. This movie was really an honor for me,” said Bailey.
Fun fact: Even as a little girl, she played the role of a mermaid. where? in the swimming pool. “When I was swimming in the pool as a little girl, I imagined I was a mermaid. I never thought that would become a reality,” she recalls.
When will the movie be shown in cinemas? Fans still have to be a little patient, because she can only be seen in Germany as of May 25, 2023.
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