Posted in: Disney, Movies | Tagged: Daryl Hannah, halle bailey, Splash, the little mermaid, The Little Mermaid (2022)

The Little Mermaid: Splash Star Daryl Hannah Endorses Halle Bailey

Published Fri, 16 Sep 2022 15:59:10 -0500

Last updated Fri, 16 Sep 2022 17:24:49 -0500

One mermaid is looking after another as Splash (1983) star Daryl Hannah is presenting a show of solidarity for the upcoming Disney remake of The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey after racist trolls bicker over her casting as an African American actress. The live-action adaptation of the 1989 film features Bailey as the title character Ariel, a mermaid princess who makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love. The Disney original animated feature, based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, was written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker featuring the protagonist as a fictional mermaid as white.

The Little Mermaid: Splash Star Daryl Hannah Endorses Halle Bailey — Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid (2022). Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Daryl Hannah's Tweet and The Little Mermaid (2022) Details

"The little mermaid is black. I met her. There! #dontbearacistdork" Hannah tweeted. The upcoming The Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall and co-written by Jane Goldman and David Magee. The film also stars Jonah Hauer-King (Prince Eric), Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Javier Bardem (King Triton), and features the voices of Daveed Diggs (Sebastian), Jacob Tremblay (Flounder), Awkwafina (Scuttle), and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Chef Louis). The original 1989 film that starred Jodi Benson as the voice of Ariel grossed $211 million globally at the box office.

Hannah starred opposite Tom Hanks in the Ron Howard romcom about a young man Allen (Hanks), who is reunited with a mermaid Madison (Hannah), who saved him from drowning as a boy. He falls in love with her, not knowing who or what she is. Written by Bruce Jay Friedman, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, the film also starred Eugene Levy and John Candy. Disney also produced the film under their Touchtone Pictures banner making $69.8 million at the box office. Both The Little Mermaid and Splash (with a censored edit) are available on Disney+.