Halle Bailey: 'Feeling all the feelings Ariel feels' in Disney's live-action 'The Little Mermaid'.
Halle Bailey recounts the emotional journey of playing Ariel in Disney's live-action 'The Little Mermaid,' sharing her excitement and the deep connection she felt to her character.
Updated : October 20, 2023 05:25 PM ISTHalle Bailey recounts the emotional journey of playing Ariel in Disney's live-action 'The Little Mermaid,' sharing her excitement and the deep connection she felt to her character.
In 2022, we got our first glimpse at Disney's live-action adaptation of 'The Little Mermaid' at D23, where Halle Bailey took on the iconic role of Ariel. The excitement in the air was palpable as Bailey described the transformation from a little girl dreaming of mermaids to embodying one on the big screen. Looking back, her journey to 'under the sea' is just as magical as the fairy tale itself.
"Halle Bailey: From Poolside Daydreams to Underwater Realities"
As a child, Bailey dreamt of mermaids while swimming in her pool. Little did she know, these dreams would morph into a reality where she would bring one of Disney's most loved characters, Ariel, to life. Her experience filming 'The Little Mermaid' turned out to be an emotional journey that she describes as "the most beautiful experience of my life — feeling all the feelings she feels, her passion, discomfort, everything she’s experiencing." The transformation, Bailey says, was made even more profound under the directorship of Rob Marshall, who became "a moving force on this film."
"A Modern Classic Revived: The Little Mermaid's Journey to Live-Action"
The original animated version of 'The Little Mermaid,' released in 1989, breathed life back into the musical genre. The live-action adaptation directed by Rob Marshall, an Oscar nominee for 'Mary Poppins Returns,' aims to do the same. According to Marshall, "It felt like fate” when Disney asked him to take on the project, given his personal connection to the film.
The new adaptation, as with the original, is based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale about a mermaid princess who trades her voice for a chance at love. The original film was a classic right from its release, raking in over $211M worldwide and winning numerous awards. The live-action version promises to continue this legacy, featuring original songs from the 1989 film and new ones written by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The joy and anticipation that enveloped Bailey and the rest of the team during D23 in 2022 just goes to show that some stories are timeless. And who knows, this live-action adaptation may inspire a new generation of children to dream of life under the sea, just like Halle Bailey once did.
(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)