A live-action remake of The Little Mermaid hits theaters next year, and director Rob Marshall is weighing in some more on the movie's controversial casting. Introducing Halle Bailey as a new incarnation of Ariel, many fans were sold on her casting after seeing a teaser trailer showcasing Bailey singing, "Part of Your World." But there have also been complaints on social media about the change in Ariel's ethnicity, and some have suggested that the filmmakers had an "agenda" by race-swapping the fictional mermaid.
Per Entertainment Weekly, director Rob Marshall says there was "no agenda" at all with casting Ariel. No one went into the casting process specifically looking to cast a Black actor in the role, as hopefuls of "every ethnicity" had auditioned. Marshall says that what they were really looking for was someone who could be "incredibly strong, passionate, beautiful, smart, clever," and with "a great deal of fire and joy." While Bailey matched these qualities, what sealed the deal was her singing abilities. As Marshall says:
"We just were looking for the best actor for the role, period. The end. We saw everybody and every ethnicity... That voice is something that is so signature and so ethereal and so beautiful that it captures the heart of Eric, and he looks for her for the entire film... Halle still had that freshness in herself. As soon as we cast her, we were really thinking in terms of how we can make this her Ariel."
The Little Mermaid Comes to Theaters in 2023
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who served as a producer and co-wrote new music for the film with Alan Menken, has also thrown a flag on people criticizing Halle Bailey's casting. As someone who's actually seen Bailey performing as Ariel, Miranda says that the critics can "stay mad," because they're confident that she's "perfect for the part."
Marshall directs the film using a screenplay by David Magee and Jan Goldman. Along with Bailey as Ariel, the cast includes Jonah Hauer-King as Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Art Malik as Grimsby, and Noma Demezweni as Queen Selina. Daveed Diggs voices Sebastian the crab while Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina voice Flounder and Scuttle, respectively.
The Little Mermaid will swim its way to movie theaters on May 26, 2023. To get a sneak peek at Bailey as Ariel, you can watch the previously released teaser below featuring her singing "Part of Your World."