Halle Bailey has insisted she’s not going to let the minor backlash to her being cast in Disney’s Little Mermaid remake spoil her excitement.
The Grammy-nominated singer and Beyoncé protegée was revealed to be playing the lead role of Ariel in Disney’s latest live-action remake last month, describing the news as a “dream come true”.
Unfortunately, though, certain narrow-minded voices on social media were quick to pile on, unfairly suggesting that Halle wasn’t suited for the part because the character was depicted as white in the original 1989 cartoon.
However, speaking to Variety about the upcoming film, Halle was quick to dismiss this.
“I don’t pay attention to the negativity,” she said. “I just feel like this role was something bigger than me, and greater.
“It’s going to be beautiful. I’m just so excited to be a part of it.”
So far, Halle is the only star confirmed for the film, but reports have suggested that Harry Styles could play Prince Eric, while Melissa McCarthy is being touted as the iconic Disney villain Ursula.
It was recently revealed that another special live-action version of The Little Mermaid is currently in the works, to air live on US television later this year.
Moana actress Auli’i Cravalho has bagged the lead role, while Oscar nominee Queen Latifah and reggae star Shaggy will play Ursula and Sebastian the crab, respectively.
Other Disney live-action remakes currently in the pipeline include Mulan, a Maleficent sequel and Lady And The Tramp, which will debut on Disney’s new streaming platform Disney Plus.