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Agence France-Presse

R&B singer Halle Bailey is to play Ariel in a live-action version of The Little Mermaid, in a rare casting of a black actress as a Disney princess.
Bailey, 19, who rose to fame under the wing of pop queen Beyoncé, said it was a “dream come true” to play the lead role.
She tweeted a cartoon image of the princess in which the traditionally red-headed Ariel has dark skin, brown eyes and black hair.
Director Rob Marshall said Bailey had been cast after an extensive search, and praised her “rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance – plus a glorious singing voice”.
Social media reaction to Bailey’s casting

I need this Little Mermaid cast to be as diverse as the cast for the 90s Cinderella pic.twitter.com/fzlbo6kaCO
— Phillip Henry (@MajorPhilebrity) July 3, 2019


Rising star Halle Bailey of @ChloeXHalle has been cast as Ariel in @Disney’s live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid”! ‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/kM17vjItYL
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 3, 2019

News of the casting was trending on Twitter late on Wednesday, with many fans overjoyed by the decision.
“If your Egyptian adaptations (actually historical) can be white people, Ariel (a fictional character) can be black,” wrote one Twitter user, @NiceNurse22.
Like most Disney princesses, Ariel has been portrayed as pale-skinned in previous cartoon films, in which she was voiced by white actress Jodi Benson.

Disney came under criticism last year for “whitewashing” Princess Tiana in cartoon movie Ralph Breaks the Internet , hastily redrawing the character with darker features just months before the film’s release.
Bailey’s casting comes more than two decades after Disney cast singer Brandy, who is also black, as Cinderella in a live-action 1997 film.
Bailey is part of Atlanta-based sister duo Chloe x Halle, who received a Grammy nomination for best new artist last year.
The big reveals in Disney’s Mulan trailer, and fan reaction
Beyoncé became a mentor of sorts to them after seeing the pair cover her song Pretty Hurts in 2013.
They were signed to her label soon after, and Beyoncé took them on her tour in 2016.
Former US first lady Michelle Obama is a fan of the duo, turned on to their music by daughters Sasha and Malia.
The Little Mermaid will be the latest in a crop of live-action remakes of classic Disney movies, including the recent Aladdin.
Filming is slated to begin next year.


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American cinema

Halle Bailey to be Ariel in Disney live-action Little Mermaid – rare casting for a black actress

Actress and singer Halle Bailey will play princess Ariel in Disney’s Little Mermaid – rare casting for a black performer. Photo: AFP

Halle Bailey, left, and Chloe Bailey, of Chloe X Halle, arrive at the season three premiere of "Stranger Things" at Santa Monica High School on Friday, June 28, 2019, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

The surprising truth about Aladdin: how Frenchman’s lacklustre tale ended up in The Arabian Nights and became a gem

An early 1900s illustration of the genie in The Arabian Nights. Photo: Alamy

A scene from the Disney 2019 film Aladdin, with Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine

The cast of characters from Disney's 1992 animated film Aladdin

An early edition of Alf Layla wa-Layla

FFB0FT ANTOINE GALLAND (1646-1715). /nFrench scholar. Steel engraving, French, 19th century.

Aladdin: 12 ways the new remake stands out from the Robin Williams animated original

Mena Massoud stars as Aladdin in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic. Photo: AP

This image released by Disney shows Nasim Pedrad as Dalia, left, and Naomi Scott as Jasmine in Disney's live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic "Aladdin." (Daniel Smith/Disney via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Mena Massoud as Aladdin, right, in Disney's live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic "Aladdin." (Daniel Smith/Disney via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Mena Massoud as Aladdin, left, and Will Smith as Genie in Disney's live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic "Aladdin." (Disney via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Marwan Kenzari as Jafar in Disney's live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic "Aladdin." (Daniel Smith/Disney via AP)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 21: (L-R) Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud, Guy Ritchie, Alan Menken, Will Smith, and Navid Negahban attend the premiere of Disney's "Aladdin" at El Capitan Theatre on May 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Naomi Scott plays an empowered Disney princess in "Aladdin." MUST CREDIT: Daniel Smith, Walt Disney Pictures

This image released by Disney shows Mena Massoud as Aladdin in Disney's live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic "Aladdin." (Daniel Smith/Disney via AP)

Mena Massoud, left, and Will Smith star in "Aladdin." MUST CREDIT: Daniel Smith, Walt Disney Pictures

epa07590836 Trey Smith (L), Jaden Smith (2-L), Jada Pinkett Smith (2-R) and Will Smith (R) pose on the red carpet during Disney's 'Aladdin' movie premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California, USA, 21 May 2019. The movie opens in US theaters on 24 May 2019. EPA-EFE/ETIENNE LAURENT

This image released by Disney shows Mena Massoud as Aladdin, left, and Naomi Scott as Jasmine in Disney's live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic "Aladdin." (Daniel Smith/Disney via AP)

Classic American films: The Lion King – Disney’s unlikely triumph is as strange and lovely as ever

A screen grab from The Lion King (1994), the biggest selling home video of all time. Photo: Disney

Handout image shows still from The Lion King (1994) [11MAY2019 FEATURES]CREDIT: Disney

Dumbo film review: Tim Burton’s live-action take on 1941 Disney cartoon is a beautifully realised flight of fancy

Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito in a still from the live-action film Dumbo

Colin Farrell, Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins in Dumbo, directed by Tim Burton and also starring Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito.

Ralph Breaks the Internet film review: delightful Wreck-It Ralph sequel subverts long-standing Disney values

A still from Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) in Ralph Breaks the Internet (category I), directed by Phil Johnston and Rich Moore.

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Beyoncé protégée calls casting a ‘dream come true’, and film’s director praises her ‘spirit, heart, youth, innocence … plus a glorious singing voice’
Like most Disney princesses, Ariel has been portrayed as pale-skinned in previous cartoon films; Disney was criticised in 2018 for ‘whitewashing’ Princess Tiana


Beyoncé protégée Halle Bailey, 19, calls casting a ‘dream come true’. Like most Disney princesses, Ariel has been portrayed as pale-skinned in previous cartoon films.


Disney

Cinema