Now that the "Mulan" live-action adaptation is out, it is time to take a look at other upcoming Disney classic remakes. Halle Bailey is the new star for the live adaptation of "The Little Mermaid." She was chosen because she has a rare combination of youth, spirit, and a fantastic voice - essential qualities required to take on the role of Princess Ariel.
Get to know more about Halle Bailey and why she was chosen as "The Little Mermaid."
Halle is part of an R&B duo
Halle sings with her sister, and both formed the R&B group named "Chloe x Halle." The two sisters have been performing in acting roles before deciding to post song covers on YouTube. As luck would have it, R&B icon Beyoncé discovered them and brought them into her Parkwood Entertainment label. The two have been invited as opening acts in some of Jay-Z and Beyoncé's tours.
Thanks to the "Single Ladies" pop singer, Chloe x Halle was able to release an EP Sugar Symphony in 2016, the mixtape The Two of Us in 2017, and debut album The Kids Are Alright in 2018. The duo's single "Warrior" from their first album was featured in "A Wrinkle of Time." This means that "The Little Mermaid" is not the first time that Halle lent her singing voice to Disney.
Received Numerous Music Awards Nominations
Chloe x Halle was nominated for many awards. Most notable are Best New Artist, and Best Urban Contemporary Album for The Kids Are Alright. On top of that, the album got nominated for Album of the Year during the Soul Train Music Awards.
They got the said nominations during the 61st Grammy Awards. The musical sisters were also nominated for a couple of Best New Artist, Best Group, or Outstanding New Artist awards during the NAACP Image Awards, BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and MTV Europe Music Awards.
Disney Princess of Color
Most of the Disney Princesses are usually white, and that makes it hard for a black girl to relate to any of them. That all changed when Disney cast Anika Noni Rose as Tiana for the animated film "Princess and the Frog." African-American girls finally have someone to look up to among the many Disney Princesses.
Now, it looks like they have another one to root for. Casting Halle as Princess Ariel for the live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. There were also speculations that Disney initially wanted Zendaya for the role. This means they were determined to cast a person of color.
Acting Roles
"The Little Mermaid" is not the first time for Halle in an acting role. She and sister Chloe starred in "Grown-ish" sitcom. Though they are not of the same age, they play as twins Skylar and Jazlyn in the show. "Grown-ish" is a spin-off of "Black-ish," where the story revolves around the Johnsons, a wealthy upper-middle-class African-American family.
Halle appeared in Queen Latifah's "Last Holiday" comedy film back in 2007. She also made appearances in TV series House of Payne, Let It Shine, and Austin & Ally.
