Christian Navarro Is Not Happy With 'The Little Mermaid' Remake, Here's Why
It seems we're in the year of nostalgia with reboots and remakes popping up almost weekly. Recent news of a Friends reunion has got fans in a tizzy, and though we're still trying to forget Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life it doesn't make it any less exciting.
Disney has jumped on the bandwagon with recent remakes of Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson, Lady and the Tramp starring real dogs, Mulan, Aladdin, the list could go on and on.
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Fans Are Creating Beautiful New 'The Little Mermaid' Art Following Ariel Casting Announcement
'The Little Mermaid' Coming Soon!
When Disney announced they would be making a live-action 'Little Mermaid," every generation gasped with excitement, remembering all those sick days we stayed home from school and watched movies in our pajamas.
Of course, with every remake that gets announced, the first question is: who will be cast? Every actor and actress in Hollywood gets in line for one of these coveted roles, especially new comers hoping to make a name for themselves.
However, with every movie that is this famous, there is always disagreement and anger at who gets chosen.
Christian Navarro Is Pissed About This Casting Decision
Disney recently announced they had chosen 28 year old actor Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric. What a cutie! He looks like he would be the perfect Prince Eric with that thick dark hair, and swoon-worthy smile.
However, one person was not happy with the decision, and that is 13 Reasons Why star Christian Navarro. He expressed his annoyance with the fact that the role was given to a white actor, rather than a more diverse casting choice. Of course, he did what every unhappy celebrity does; he made his views known online!
Christian Tweeted His Anger
In celebrity world, a tweet is worth a thousand words. Christian wrote: "Just came back to say; after months of seeing every person of color they could think of for the role of Prince Eric, @DisneyStudios somehow still cast a white guy."
He continued speaking about his anger with the lack of diversity saying, "I guess diversity is just a word. And THATS Hollywood. One brown person is enough, two brown leads is unthinkable."
While Christian has every right to express his opinions, it's interesting to note that he also auditioned for the role.
Halle Bailey Was Cast As Ariel
Perhaps Christian is simply lashing out, as he lost out on the role of Prince Eric. Clearly, he won't be standing in line for tickets to this movie. Or maybe he will hate watch it?
It's important to note that Halle Bailey, member of R&B group Chloe X Halle was cast as Ariel, and she happens to be black. So, it would seem that Disney is not purposefully creating a movie with an all white cast, and they've already taken flack for it from haters on Twitter, who started the hashtag #NotMyAriel.
Jodi Benson Defends Ariel Casting Choice
The disgusting and clearly racist hashtag has made many come to Halle's defense.
Jodi Benson, who played the voice of Ariel in the original The Little Mermaid movie said, "I think that the spirit of a character is what really matters. What you bring to the table in a character as far as their heart, and their spirit, is what really counts. And the outside package—cause, let’s face it, I’m really, really old—and so when I’m singing ‘Part of Your World,’ if you were to judge me on the way that I look on the outside, it might change the way that you interpret the song. But if you close your eyes, you can still hear the spirit of Ariel.”
Fans of Disney carry so much nostalgia in their hearts that many take casting decisions extremely seriously, especially in the times we're living in. I wonder what Christian will think of the rest of the cast? I'm sure we'll find out on Twitter.
