Halle Bailey switched from music to acting, starring in The Little Mermaid as Ariel in 2023. Ariel is King Triton’s youngest daughter and a headstrong mermaid princess who loves exploring the human world.
The 23-year-old was the first to audition for the coveted role in Disney’s live-action. She sang Part of Your World, from the OG 1989 film, and director Rob Marshall and other filmmakers immediately knew she was the one for the role.
Even Bailey’s performance as Ariel received positive reactions. Variety’s critics praised Bailey as “extraordinary” and a “bad-ass.”
After casting Halle Bailey as Ariel in a movie adaptation, Disney revealed the first glimpse of an animated series last year. In the series, the character Ariel has been reimagined as a different race.
Disney Reveals Race-Swapped Ariel in New Animated Series
Disney Branded Television revealed on June 13, 2023, that it approved a new animated series called Disney Junior’s Ariel, inspired by Halle Bailey‘s portrayal of Ariel (via Billboard).
The new series is designed for preschoolers. It’s a spin on The Little Mermaid, featuring an 8-year-old Ariel exploring Atlantica on exciting adventures.
The character designs for Disney Junior’s Ariel show a young version inspired by Bailey’s portrayal. This Ariel has flowing red locs and rich brown skin, reflecting Bailey’s live-action performance.
But it seems that some people might have issues with changing Ariel’s race in the animated series—similar to the backlash faced by Bailey for her Ariel casting.
We all know who’s gonna have an issue about this 💀
— Big Rome (@LONDO87540615) February 14, 2024
Check out some fan reactions:
Nigga I have a problem with it. Make a new character, I thought people had to be creative to make shows and movies not just make everyone black.
I want original black characters— DIO (@Odi_JNR) February 14, 2024
Goddamit no
What is disney doing with little mermaid
Like the live action remake is awfull and ruined the legacy— Floyd Mulvihill (@bonniethelegend) June 14, 2023
again!!
Disney is just a joke..— Rav (@RavDreamer) June 13, 2023
black mermaid againXDDDDDDDD
— Mateusz||essuniatt (@txtmtsh) June 13, 2023
Some people might worry about changes to the character’s identity, preferring to keep it as it was. There may also be biases when seeing a beloved character portrayed differently.
Disney Eager to Introduce Young Audiences to New Ariel
Disney Junior’s Ariel follows Ariel and her friends on exciting mermaid adventures in Atlantica, drawing inspiration from the Caribbean.
The official synopsis of the show reads (via Variety):
“Set in the fantastical Caribbean-inspired underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the series follows Ariel as she embarks on fun-filled, action-packed mermaid adventures with her friends.”
Disney can’t wait to introduce the revamped Ariel to young viewers, bringing the character to a new generation. Ayo Davis, the president of Disney Branded Television, said (reported by the same source (Variety):
“For more than 30 years, the story of ‘The Little Mermaid’ has been beloved by audiences all over the world. It brings me so much joy to be able to introduce our new Disney Junior version of Ariel to preschoolers everywhere.”
Alyssa Sapire, senior vice president of development, series, and strategy at Disney Junior, also shared her thoughts on the animated show:
“As we were developing ‘Disney Junior’s Ariel,’ we knew that we wanted to create an atmosphere that was vibrant and magical and showcased our young Ariel’s imagination, which, like our preschool audience watching at home, is as big as the sea.”
The animated show, Disney Junior’s Ariel, is set to premiere in 2024. Meanwhile, watch Halle Bailey starrer live-action of the The Little Mermaid on Disney+.
