the little mermaid remake

Halle Bailey Cried Seeing Young Black Girls’ Reaction To “The Little Mermaid”

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Disney initially announced the casting of Halle Bailey as the lead in their live-action remake of The Little Mermaid in 2019. Unfortunately, since Halle is a black woman, it ignited a firestorm of controversy. Her community understandably rejoiced at the success of the talented 23-year-old. However, racists took to social media to spew their objections towards the push for diversity. Yara Shadidi faced a similar backlash when she landed the role of Tinkerbell in Peter Pan & Wendy. However, both young actresses have skillfully silenced their critics with their exceptional performances.

After much anticipation, Bailey’s debut film finally premiered in Hollywood earlier this month, marking a significant milestone in her career. The general public has had to wait a bit longer to watch it. However, a select group of celebrity friends, including Offset, Chlöe Bailey, and Kelly Rowland, were personally invited to an exclusive early screening. Many influential figures were able to attend the premiere. Afterward, many took to Twitter to share their enthusiastic thoughts on The Little Mermaid.

Halle: “I Was Sobbing Uncontrollably”

Halle Bailey signs autographs for fans during the Premiere of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”
(Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images for Disney)

With the release of The Little Mermaid drawing near, Halle Bailey is looking back at her remarkable journey, emotion-filled journey. Her audition for the lead role was reportedly so powerful that it brought everyone in the room to tears. The film has sparked many important discussions about representation. Over the last few months, Bailey’s resilience has shone through. Despite facing backlash, she found strength in her grandparents’ words of encouragement. They expressed how her portrayal would empower their community. They said she would inspire young black and brown girls to see themselves represented in a meaningful way. Their support has fueled Bailey’s determination to make a lasting impact through her role in the film.

In a recent interview with Glamour, Halle opened up about seeing videos of young black girls reacting to her as Ariel. “When I saw those for the first time, I just cried,” she told the magazine. “I was sobbing uncontrollably. The fact that these babies are looking at me and feeling the emotions that they’re feeling is a really humbling, beautiful thing.” The actress will no doubt continue to inspire more children when the film opens this week. Stay tuned to HNHH for all the latest news on Halle Bailey and make sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

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Halle Bailey Teaches Fans How To Say Her Name

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The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey recently shared the correct way to pronounce her name during an Instagram Live. A video clip uploaded to Twitter by a fan account shows the Chloe x Halle singer explaining the correct way to say her two-syllable moniker. She also lightly explained her frustration at having people get it wrong so often.

“You know, I really appreciate you asking because so many people don’t know how to pronounce it correctly. It’s literally just Halle. It’s simple, it’s easy: It’s Halle. Not Holly, not Haley. It’s Halle. Okay? Thank you.” Bailey explained at the time. The live stream was a way for the Atlanta native to thank her fans for supporting her career journey as the official trailer for her debut movie, The Little Mermaid was released at the 2023 Oscars.

Halle Offers a Tutorial On Saying Her “Simple” Name 

This isn’t the first time there has been confusion over the Ungodly Hour singer’s name. There have been several cases where the 22-year-old has been confused for Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry, which the Catwoman lead has previously joked about.  When a fan replied to one of her posts saying, “Can’t wait to see you under da sea! 🧜‍♀️,” the older starlet was quick to reply, “… wrong Halle lol. I can’t wait to see her too though.”

In the same live stream, the young Disney princess expressed her excitement about playing the role of Ariel. “I feel like everything is falling into place. I feel like this is my Jordan year, right?” To be fair, everything does seem to be falling into place for the young singer-turned-actress.

Excitement Under the Sea

Earlier this month, Halle Bailey unveiled The Little Mermaid doll modelled after her. The long-awaited movie is finally set to release in theatres on May 26, 2023. In an interview with Variety, she spoke about being an inspiration for young girls watching her on the big screen. “I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that they’re special and that they should be a princess in every single way. There’s no reason that they shouldn’t be,”  the star said. Will you be heading to theatres this spring to catch Disney’s upcoming remake? Tell us in the comments below.

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