The little Mermaid is the animated film that started the period known as the Disney Renaissance. As such, the inevitable live-action remake was always going to be a highly anticipated project. That being said, the film has become one of the most talked about films in Hollywood since Halle Bailey was announced as an actress to play the role of Ariel. Director Rob Marshall admits the attention wasn’t something he expected.
Halle Bailey’s casting has gotten some very vocal people on both sides of the decision. To be fair, there was a lot of racist backlash against Bailey’s casting as the formerly white animated character will be played by a black actress and many people seem to have forgotten that the original character is a cartoon fish. However, what Rob Marshall says uh What surprised me the most was the positive support from those who saw Bailey for the first time Mermaid trailer, went viral with loving reactions. marshall said…
I didn’t expect it because it kind of felt like we were onto these things, but then you realize that it kind of isn’t like that. It was very moving for me to see how important this type of casting is to the world.
The Disney guys probably expected the backlash. Unfortunately, this sort of thing has become all too common. However, Marshall says he’s not prepared for the positive response. It seems he didn’t realize what it would mean for so many people to be portrayed like that. Videos of girls watching Mermaid The trailer went viral. Bailey has received an outpouring of support for countering the negativity.
Which is not to say that representation was a specific consideration in choosing the role. Marshall explains that many different women from different backgrounds were considered. Marshall says there was no agenda, the goal, just like Prince Eric in the film himself, was just to find the right voice. He continued…
We were looking for the best actor for the role, period. End. We saw everyone and all ethnicities.
Ultimately, they settled on Halle Bailey for what Marshall calls her “coolness.” While there may not have been an agenda in casting her, the decision clearly had repercussions. While it’s certainly inspired by the original Disney film, we know the live-action version will feature a number of changes, including new music and an expanded role for Prince Eric. It will be a whole new world for fans of The little Mermaid when the movie hits theaters next summer.
Source: Cinemablend
