The Little Mermaid Director On Halle Bailey Earning The Leading Role

Disney has been unsurprisingly thriving (per usual) with its live-action properties, considering that the studio has obtained Star Wars and Marvel in addition to its already popular animated content. Though, in more recent years, Disney has started to broaden their iconic animated IPs into the world of live-action to create new visual adventures for longtime fans. And the next big adaptation? The Little Mermaid!

With just a few weeks until its release (and plenty of buzz hyping up its box office potential), the big-budget film’s director recently broke down the casting process behind the film’s titular singing mermaid portrayed by Halle Bailey.

The Director of The Little Mermaid Explains Ariel’s Perfect Casting

When speaking to British Vogue about the casting decision, the film’s director Director Rob Marshall, explained, “[Producer] John DeLuca and I were watching [Bailey’s performance at the 2019 Grammys], and I said, ‘John, who is that? She looks like an angel. I mean, Halle’s so beautiful, but she also has an otherworldly sensibility. This was so important for a character that’s a mermaid and a teenage girl, who has to have this combination of strength, passion, and courage, as well as a kind of naivety and innocence. She was the very first actress we saw for the role. She came in, and she sang ‘Part of Your World.’ And by the end of it, I was crying. I couldn’t believe the depth and the truth and the simplicity and passion she brought to the song. It was just so moving.

Marshall eventually goes on to add, “Can she hold the film? Can she act with Javier Bardem [King Triton] and Melissa McCarthy [Ursula]? But every time she came in when she read, she got more confidence. She understood nuance, she understood truth, and she showed all of those wonderful colours that Ariel needs. We started to see other people. Many other people, hundreds of other people, but the bar had already been set. And no one ever surpassed that bar.”

Disney’s brand new interpretation of The Little Mermaid arrives in theaters worldwide starting on May 26, 2023.