Freeform responds to Halle Bailey as the new Little Mermaid

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Freeform responds to Halle Bailey as the new Little Mermaid

Disney announced this week that Halle Bailey will star as Ariel in the upcoming Live Action movie the Little Mermaid. Some fans were very receptive while others were not. Some went as far as starting a hashtag #notmyariel on social media.

In response, Freeform posted on their Twitter an open letter to those Poor, Unfortunate Souls


What are your thoughts on the casting of Halle as the Little Mermaid? Let us know in the comment box below.

 

 


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Chip is the owner, editor, and writer of Chip and Company. When he is not writing about Disney News or Planning Tips, you will find him counting down the days to his next Disney Vacation.
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13 thoughts on “Freeform responds to Halle Bailey as the new Little Mermaid

  1. Nope not seeing it if that happens not letting their political agenda ruin my favorite childhood movie.. #NotMyAriel

  2. Noo offense to Halle but Disney wants to create these worlds and characters that many of id ge up on and by casting Halle as Ariel it’s like casting a red hair, freckled, white woman to play Tiana in the Princess and the Frog. Disney is known for trying to make their cartoon movies come to life. They created a white, blue eyed, red haired character and now they are making her black. I think Halle sings beautifully but as someone who loves The Little Mermaid, and all die hard Disney fans out there, it’s hard to accept that Ariel is not going to look like, resemble, the character they’ve already created, in a world that has already been created. Yes, Danish people can be black, but this isnt about race. It’s about the fact that Disney wants to make a a very very white character (that they’ve already created) and make her black. Does that mean that Prince Eric (which pretty much 99.9% all Royalty for the time period was white) is going to be African, Asian, Hispanic? At this point why call it The Little Mermaid? Why not make an entirely different Mermaid movie? If the cast can’t even reflect the original visual given by Disney what makes it Disney? It’s like making Mulan an Indian fighting the Germans during WWII. An inaccuracy. All I can hope is that Disney doesn’t ruin the fantasy of this long loved movie. Disney, you’ve given us a visual that none of us cant unsee. Dont be angry when your fans get upset that you’re changing vital parts of our childhood. You’ve done amazing matching characters to their roles from other cartoons to their live- action movie’s… we are upset. Not because of the beautiful and talented Halle, but because you’ve given us a vision that you’ve so far failed to deliver.

  3. Ok so when they decide to make a live action movie of the princess and the frog let’s make Tiana a Latin girl why not Latin girls can be black also

  4. I have no problem with a black mermaid ,none. But Ariel is not black. Want a black mermaid? Then write a part for her and make a movie of her. Will celebrate that and watch that. But I do not want you screwing with Ariel,Mulan,Jasmine. They have been accepted as what they are already. One of mu favorites is the Princess and The Frog. She is black and do not want you to remake it and make her white,or Asian. And before you go calling me racist,my family is Black and white and mixed race. We all talked about this and agreed,we do not like the change.

  5. My issue is not that they’ve cast a person with a different skin tone than in the first Disney movie. My issue is the complete and utter hypocrisy and the trollish devotion to political correctness that has infected the entire company. ALL of the Disney franchises are pretend. It’s all in the imagination but they would NEVER cast a blonde as Jasmine or a Dane as Mustafa or a Japanese girl as Cinderella. Now, having said that I DO NOT have a problem with any of that. Actors are PRETENDING. Theater is all about the suspension of disbelief. Good acting transports you into the story. But that’s not why Disney chooses to do what it does. They have a political agenda it’s not about the quality of the actors or the storytelling which to me is a disservice to those striving to create wonderful entertainment.

  6. Not a fan. Beautiful girl, still #notmyariel. Btw, I didn’t like the casting for the live action Cinderella either. She didn’t look the part and the acting was horrid. I was dead set against Will Smith as the genie, but then I saw he made the role his own and didn’t just copy Robin Williams. So I ended up seeing the live action Aladdin twice. I really enjoyed what he and the cast brought to the film.However, once you’ve seen Amy Adams in Enchanted, one of my favorite non-princess princess movies it’s kind of difficult to see anyone else with “porcelain skin” (according to the original story by HCA) fitting the bill. Even though Adams did not play Ariel, in my mind, she is what a red-haired princess looks like. That does not make me a bad person anymore than those who like the casting. Its personal preference. I dont like the fact that Melissa maybe Ursala either. She doesnt look old enough. However, Jolie as Malificent is great. She looks the part and is a good actor too. Sometimes, we don’t have to agree. I guess in the end, Disney should respect people with opposing opinions who are fans of the mouse and not call us poor or unfortunate, even if it is a feeble attempt at a humorous put down. Just because Disney keeps remaking everything to get cash generated for the new streaming service , the numerous acquisitions, new resorts and theme park expansions, doesn’t mean that we have to like everything they do. I’m tired of corporations and the pc police, telling me what I should think. After all, this isn’t the first time fans criticized casting about a Disney production based upon a children’s story, Alice in Wonderland anyone? The British hated it, some Americans loved it. The characters that were drawn, based upon real people, did not match the sketches in the original books. So, I guess we’ll see how this goes. Once a picture is painted in your mind’s eye, then no matter what the color, sometimes it’s going to influence you. The original picture – that first sketch- will be in your mind. You will compare anything that comes after to it, it’s human nature. Look at the drawings of Mickey through the years, which ones do you relate to the most? For many it will be the first version they remember. First exposure is a powerful thing. In a way, Disney productions can be their own worst enemy. They make the first production so well, that a remake will be more heavily scrutinized. But I digress, remakes as a whole, are always a gamble. Just saying.

  7. Disney should stick to the original Ariel. Halle can be another mermaid, but not Ariel.

  8. Shes beautiful shes perfect…looking forward to sering it Disney has always done us rifhtbwhen choosing its characters for its films ….remember folks …its a movie it’s for the heart and ssd soul a place to embrace an opportunity to share with your kids a lesson of it doesn’t matter your color of skin it matters of the story ac nd how it makes you feel just like a friend makes you feel ….

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