After a long wait, Disney's latest live-action reimagining of one of its beloved animated films — The Little Mermaid — will be a part of our world very soon!
Taking up the mantle as two of cinema's favorite childhood characters — Ariel and Prince Eric — is no easy task, but star Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King were more than up for it! And with new original songs and enough romantic gesturing to make even the coldest heart swoon, it;s safe to say they did an amazing job in doing so.
Out got the chance to sit down with Bailey and Hauer-King to talk about bringing new music, romance, and representation to a new generation of Disney fans!
"I was so excited to bring those themes to life," Bailey told Out when asked about portraying a universally-relatable outsider character like Ariel. "We've all resonated with feeling alone or that maybe we're in the wrong place and wanting something greater for our future. As a young Black woman, I have felt that way many times in my life. So just pulling from my own experiences, it was a beautiful thing to incorporate that into Ariel's story."
"It was so much fun to be able to play that with Jonah," she continued when asked about building her chemistry with her co-star Hauer-King. "From the moment we met, there was this genuine friendship and connection that we had, and I was so grateful for that. I think in our screen test the first time, we felt that right away. I was just really grateful to be able to play it with somebody like Jonah, who is a kind person and who is a leader. And so talented. For us to be embarking on this journey together for the first time, I think that was a bonding experience on its own. Being able to play these iconic characters that we both were like, 'Oh my gosh, this is a big deal, this is happening.'"
The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26. Watch the official trailer below.
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