The new trailer for Disney’s live-action adaptation of ‘The Little Mermaid (2023)’ has sparked some mixed reactions from different audiences.
The teaser trailer was released on September 9, revealing actress and singer Halle Bailey playing the role of Ariel.
In response to this trailer, mothers of young Black children everywhere took to Tiktok to film their children’s blind reactions to seeing Ariel for the first time. Ranging from jumping with joy to looks of awe and wonder in their eyes, every child’s reaction was pure and priceless.
A recurring statement keeps showing up in the comment section of all of these videos: “This is why representation matters”. By casting a Black woman for the remake rather than trying to directly replicate the original animated version, Disney is giving these children the opportunity to see themselves in mainstream media.
Unfortunately, wherever there is progressive change, negative backlash tends to follow; some people have taken to social media to express their “outrage” for the casting choice.
Following the trailer’s release, the #NotMyAriel hashtag began trending on Twitter, with users attempting to justify their racist remarks behind the fact that the fictional character “isn’t the one we grew up with.”
Luckily, the reinterpretation of Ariel is met with mostly positive acclaim, with Bailey receiving lots of support from fans and celebrities alike.
One Twitter troll praised Disney for casting actress Rachel Zegler as Snow White in the upcoming live-action rendition, while simultaneously tearing down Bailey, stating “she can be the Little Mermaid on Broadway if she wishes, but not in a movie.”
Zegler’s reply was kept short and sweet: “If you don’t support my girl Halle, who is the perfect Ariel, you don’t support any of us.”
‘The Little Mermaid’ is set to release in theatres May 2023.
