Halle Bailey And Rachel Zegler Talked About Portraying "Modern" Disney Princesses And How "It's Not All About A Boy"
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
There's a reckoning happening in the world of the Disney Princess™. The dolls are ditching Prince Charming and true love's kiss for something a little more meaningful — themselves.
This weekend at D23 (Disney's biggest fan convention of the year), the stars of the upcoming live-action adaptations of The Little Mermaid and Snow White spoke up about how the new films will showcase our favorite heroines in a more powerful and "modern" light.
Halle Bailey (one part of the sister music duo Chloe x Halle) will be taking on the role of Ariel in 2023's The Little Mermaid, and spoke to Yahoo! News about how the live-action version will be different from the 1989 animated version.
Bailey told Yahoo, “We keep a lot of the meat of the film that made us all fall in love with [it]. It’s really her, and her gumption. And just excitement for the life above [her] world. ...It’s also updated with the current times... She really just goes for what she wants. She’s not scared. And it’s not all about a boy. It’s all about what she wants for herself, and her life. She inspires me.”
And talking to the Hollywood Reporter, she responded to the first trailer's release and opened up about how meaningful it is to bring this character to life as the first Black woman to swim into the role.
Bailey said, “I think the most magical part of it all is…the fact that I get to represent all these little Black and brown boys and girls...because I know that if I had that when I was younger, it would have changed my whole perspective on life.”
And Halle isn't the only one bringing a fresh take to an old favorite. West Side Story's Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, is biting into the titular role of Snow White opposite Gal Gadot, who will be serving up her take on the Evil Queen.
Rachel explained to Yahoo! News how her Snow White would be different from the animated version who, let's face it, is pretty lacking in the "being a fully realized human being" department.
Zegler said, “She’s so focused in becoming the leader that her father tells her that she can be. And she’s really trying to find the courage to stand up to the Evil Queen and how to find her own agency and rule a kingdom."
She goes on to say that finding a man isn't even something on her radar this time around (OK, I need to take some notes, LOL).
"In 1937, the cartoon was so focused on her finding true love, and it’s not even in her mind at all in this film... And she meets so many incredible people along the way. And maybe she finds love. Maybe she finds friendship. But what’s really important is that she finds her own voice.”
It's so exciting to see these women take on two of Disney's most iconic roles and create fresh role models for a new generation. Cheers to you, ladies!
