Halle Bailey Says Live Action 'The Little Mermaid' Has a More Modern Take

Halle Bailey is opening up about her upcoming movie The Little Mermaid!

The 22-year-old actress and singer recently shared about finding out she got the role, them incorporating her locs into the character and how this version is a more modern take than the original animated version.

“Of course, I burst out crying,” Halle told The Face about learning she booked the role. ​“I did not believe it. I still honestly don’t.”

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“What’s beautiful about this version of The Little Mermaid is that it’s a lot more modern,” she added. “When we saw it, when we were younger, she gave up everything for the guy. But I don’t think [that] reflects modern women today. So [now] it’s more about Ariel finding freedom for herself because of this world that she’s obsessed with.”

Unlike the original, Prince Eric, Halle says, “is a cherry on top. But it’s not all about him.”

As for her locs, director Rob Marshall was keen to incorporate parts of Halle’s real life identity.

“As a Black woman, hair is spiritual, especially locs,” she said. “It was really cool for them to make Ariel a version of me with my locs. I feel like that’s what mermaid hair would be anyway.”

If you missed it, a new teaser was recently revealed for the upcoming movie.