INTERVIEW: News24's Leandra Engelbrecht speaks to Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem about Disney's The Little Mermaid live-action film. They share more about their characters, how this retelling differs from the original, and why this story is still relevant today.
It's been quite a voyage for Disney's The Little Mermaid live-action remake. The film was first announced in 2017, in the same year director Rob Marshall boarded, and in July 2019, it was announced that singer Halle Bailey had been cast as Ariel.
Bailey's casting was met with many negative reactions to the black actor as the fictional character. While the trolls trolled on the internet, little black girls worldwide felt part of the world when the first teaser for the film was released in September last year.
After braving the stormy, turbulent seas, The Little Mermaid finally releases in cinemas on Friday 26 May.
Bailey says: "It feels so amazing to finally see the finished product.
"We worked so hard on this film, all of us. It means so much to us to be a part of this film that we all know and love for so long. I know for me, it's a really, like, wild experience. And I never would imagine in my wildest dreams this would have happened to me. So, I'm just really in a grateful mindset. I feel very blessed and just honoured to do this."
Click 'read more' for the full interview with the cast of The Little Mermaid.
