Halle Bailey is the latest Disney Princess set to grace big-screens next month. After the singer and actress was cast in the role of Ariel for the upcoming live-action Disney remake of The Little Mermaid, she was consulted by pop culture powerhouse Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, who had some great advice for the young star.
Prior to Halle Bailey being cast in the 2023 new movie release, her duo with her sister Chloe x Halle got noticed by Beyoncé back in 2013 for a YouTube cover they did for her song “Pretty Hurts.” Beyoncé then signed them to her label Parkwood Entertainment and has since been a champion for both Bailey sisters careers. Queen Bey gave her advice following her The Little Mermaid casting. As the Ariel actress recalled:
She’s always been very, very complimentary and proud of me, and that means the world coming from her, somebody that’s been one of my biggest inspirations since I was 3. She just told me to stand in my power and to not give up and to know that I can do this and believe in myself.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Release Date: May 26, 2023
Directed By: Rob Marshall
Written By: David Magee
Starring: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Halle Bailey shared that Beyoncé was a big cheerleader for her following her nabbing the huge role. Prior to her forming an actual relationship with the “Single Ladies” singer, Bailey was a major Beyoncé fan her entire life, so it meant even more to her that when she got the role that she’d be on her side and giving her some great advice.
In addition to being signed by Beyoncé’s label when Halle Bailey was 13, she and Chloe Bailey have gone with her on two tours as opening acts, along with appearing on the Lemonade visual album alongside Zendaya and Amandla Stenberg. Having the distinction of becoming a live-action Disney Princess, of course, is a completely new point in her career that takes her recognition to new heights.
Unfortunately, when news of Halle Bailey’s casting was announced, internet reactions included a lot of racist backlash about a Black actress portraying the role that had been white in the original animated 1989 film. Beyoncé’s words must have especially come in handy then when a lot of Disney fans were not embracing her version with open arms. When the first trailer for The Little Mermaid came out in November, Bailey got to experience some joy from the internet with video reactions of young Black girls watching her in the role, which showed the early impact of the casting.
The May release will see Halle Bailey reimagining Ariel over 30 years after the original animated movie made waves for Disney. Bailey has teased that her version about much more than “a boy,” but rather about the mermaid finding her “purpose,” “freedom” and the “life that she wants.” You can look forward to seeing The Little Mermaid in theaters this May 26.