'Black' Little Mermaid opens up about casting controversy

Halle Bailey, who was cast as Ariel in Disney's live action film 'The Little Mermaid', said she was not shocked by the black mermaid's cold response.

Recently, Halle Bailey conducted an interview with The Face. “As a black man, it’s something I expected, and it’s no longer a shock,” he said. He added, "People don't understand that black people have another community. It's important to see ourselves."

Beyonce also advised Halle Bailey not to read comments. Halle Bailey focused only on positive reactions. After releasing the 'Little Mermaid' poster, Halle Bailey posted on social media, "Words cannot express how honored I am to play the role of Ariel, the Little Mermaid of my dreams, in Disney's 'The Little Mermaid.' Join me in theaters on May 26, 2023. He wrote, “Under the sea.”

In July 2019, the Walt Disney Company officially announced that black actress Halle Bailey would be the main character in the live-action adaptation of 'The Little Mermaid', with director Rob Marshall at the helm. A debate continued regarding casting. This is because Ariel's appearance is different from the original animation. After the casting news was announced, Halle Bailey posted a photo saying, "Dreams come true." The photo he posted was not of red-haired Ariel.

However, he was embroiled in controversy over his casting because he was black. Rob Marshall then said in a statement, "Halle Bailey has what it takes to play the iconic role of 'The Little Mermaid.'" While there were many voices welcoming the casting that reflected the new era, there were also opinions opposing the casting, saying that she was different from the original Ariel, who was white and had red hair. Halle Bailey is famous for wearing her natural black hair without a wig.

‘Disney’ is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 26th. Disney released a teaser poster and teaser trailer. The teaser poster focuses attention on the deep underwater scenery that creates a mysterious atmosphere. The teaser trailer features beautiful melodic music while also showing fantastic visuals of the deep underwater world that serves as the background for the story. In addition, there is a scene where he sings 'Part of Your World', the representative song from 'The Little Mermaid', while admiring the human world.

Except for Ariel, the roles of Prince Eric, Ursula, and Vanessa were cast entirely by white people. In particular, the reaction changed when British actress Jessica Alexander was chosen to play the role of Vanessa. Jessica Alexander actually resembles Ariel. The majority of responses are that this is Disney's target. As the release date of 'The Little Mermaid', which has been embroiled in controversy starting from casting, has been set, attention is being paid to what kind of reaction there will be whenever the main poster and main trailer are released.

Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr