PSA: Halle Bailey Posted the First Picture of Herself as Ariel

Photo credit: Getty Images/IMDB
Photo credit: Getty Images/IMDB
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Love it or hate it, Disney seems to have a thing for taking iconic ’90s movies and making them live action. Not that we’re at all mad at it! Next up? A remake of the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. 🧜♀️

In case you somehow forgot the plot, it’s the one where mermaid Princess Ariel trades her voice for a pair of legs in order to woo the gorge Prince Eric. But this version will be directed by Rob Marshall, who also directed 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns…and the cast will obviously feature real-life human beings. If you’re more excited for this movie than Ariel was to find that old fork, here’s what you need to know.

Good news: The Little Mermaid has wrapped filming!

Halle posted a picture-perfect goodbye on her Twitter account while revealing that filming is officially done. "And just like that..that’s a wrap after auditioning for this film when I was 18 just about to turn 19, to now finishing filming through a pandemic when I turned 21," she wrote. "We have finally made it...I feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory.."

The pandemic originally impacted film production, but in January 2021 Javier Bardem told El Tiempo that filming was back underway. With COVID-19 precautions in place, Javier assured fans it was a safe journey under the sea.

“Well, it’s affecting because there’s nothing more than being on the hotel, then go to work…from work to the hotel, because that’s what should be done.…All protocols are exhaustive, there’s a lot of care when they’re doing the tests every day, with the number of people on the set, which is considerably big. There’s a lot of protocols and honestly I feel safe. Other thing is when you leave the set, in my case, I go home, same as the other production members, but I think that if all things are done properly, it could totally be a safe place.”

Who’s in it?

It’s probably safe to say this version will include tons of CGI, but regardless, the cast is fabulous. In true Disney fashion, some of these names will definitely surprise you in the best of ways.

Halle Bailey as Ariel

Photo credit: Jon Kopaloff - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jon Kopaloff - Getty Images

Halle Bailey has been cast as Ariel!! You may recognize her as Sky from Grown-ish or from her pop duo Chloe x Halle with her sis Chloe Bailey or from the intense Twitter casting discussion. Can we all just appreciate the cute artwork of her as the underwater Disney princess?

We stan.

Awkwafina as Scuttle

Photo credit: Emma McIntyre - Getty Images
Photo credit: Emma McIntyre - Getty Images

Putting the “fin” in Awkwafina, the Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s Eight actress will be part of this seaside story as Scuttle the seagull. The part in the original animated movie was voiced by Buddy Hackett, and I am so here for this gender-flipper casting.

Jacob Tremblay as Flounder

Photo credit: Matt Winkelmeyer - Getty Images
Photo credit: Matt Winkelmeyer - Getty Images

The 14-year-old actor, aka the kid in Room, will be playing Ariel’s BFF Flounder.

Melissa McCarthy as Ursula

Photo credit: NBC - Getty Images
Photo credit: NBC - Getty Images


Two-time Oscar nominee and comedy superstar is set to play the evil sea witch, and she’s even recorded a couple of songs for the movie already! The initial news of her casting got mixed reactions online, with some fans hoping Lizzo (who threw her own name into the ring a few months earlier) would be the star giving us a 2021/2022 version of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” instead.

Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric

Photo credit: Rich Polk - Getty Images
Photo credit: Rich Polk - Getty Images

It feels like forever ago when the world had a tiny flame of hope that our future Prince Eric would be none other than Harry Styles. Needless to say, it’s not happening, BUT don’t think Disney is leaving us hanging. London-born Jonah kinda/maybe/actually/definitely looks like Prince Eric! I mean, Look! At! Him!

Javier Bardem as King Triton

Photo credit: Carlos Alvarez - Getty Images
Photo credit: Carlos Alvarez - Getty Images

The Hollywood Reporter sure had a lot of casting news to give us in 2019 when the outlet confirmed Javier Bardem would play King Triton, Ariel’s dad and king of the ocean. The Spanish actor won an Oscar for playing a killer in No Country for Old Men, so it’s nice to see him nab a totally opposite Disney role. But who knows, maybe Javier will stay in his villain typecast and Atlantica will get a whole lot scarier….

Daveed Diggs as Sebastian

Photo credit: Roy Rochlin - Getty Images
Photo credit: Roy Rochlin - Getty Images

TBH, this is the casting we all needed. I mean, Hamilton fans know how good Daveed is in sarcastic roles (does the name Thomas Jefferson ring a bell?), so it only makes sense for a true Broadway alum like him to be playing the beloved crab Sebastian. Also…imagine how good he’ll be in a full-blown dance number. Yeah, I’m ready for it.

Photo credit: Giphy
Photo credit: Giphy

Most of the songs will be the same, but there will be new mermaid music too.

It wouldn’t be a Disney remake without some original tunes from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. (PSA: The OG movie won Oscars for Best Original Music and Best Original Song for “Under the Sea.”) Disney knows exactly what to do in order for the new movie to be a hit—enter Lin-Manuel Miranda, walking Broadway genius and Moana songwriter. Given how Moana—and Hamilton!—had bangers strewn throughout, it’s easy to say the new Little Mermaid music is going to be bomb.

When is The Little Mermaid’s release date and how can I see it?

Unfortunately, that’s still to be determined by Disney. But based on the time frames of other productions from the company, don’t expect to hear any news of a release date for at least a few more months.

In the meantime, you can start singing “Under the Sea” right about now. We’ll join you.

You Might Also Like