Credit: DisneyDisney’s highly-anticipated remake of the 1989 animated classic, The Little Mermaid (2023), is splashing into theaters later this month. And in honor of its world premiere, the studio rolled out the “blue carpet” for its all-star cast, leading to a sweet moment for both Princess Ariels.
Worlds collided on the blue carpet at last night’s premiere of The Little Mermaid, which was held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
Every fish in the sea came dressed to the nines to celebrate the new film, including Melissa McCarthy, who plays Ursula, Javier Bardem, who plays King Triton, and Awkwafina, who voices Scuttle. Of course, the movie’s lead, Halle Bailey, also joined the cast during the event, wearing a seashell-inspired, aqua blue gown reminiscent of her iconic character, Ariel.
Directed by Rob Marshall, the upcoming live-action reboot will follow a similar storyline to its cartoon predecessor, and features four new songs penned by Lin Manuel Miranda. So far, 2023’s The Little Mermaid has earned rave reviews from critics, though many claim it does fall victim to some of the same issues of its fellow live-action remakes.
Check out the official trailer for Walt Disney Studios’ The Little Mermaid below:
King Triton, Princess Ariel, and her mermaid sisters weren’t the only royals on the blue carpet, however. Longtime Disney royalty Jodi Benson also made an appearance at the event, which seems only fitting as she is the original voice actor for Ariel.
In a particularly touching moment, Bailey and Benson ran into each other on the blue carpet and exchanged words while hugging. The two women couldn’t seem happier to see one another, and were all smiles during their sweet moment.
Check out their emotional interaction below:
🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/ldnzWPYuAY
— The Little Mermaid (@LittleMermaid) May 9, 2023
Benson has been nothing but supportive of Bailey stepping into her shoes for the new film, and told The Hollywood Reporter that Bailey is the ideal actress to play Ariel because of “her pure spirit, her joy, her love, her unbelievable vulnerability, her authenticity, her bravery, her courage…it’s just beautiful.”
Based on the reviews so far, it seems like Bailey didn’t need any pointers from Benson when stepping into the role of Ariel. But either way, Benson looks like she’s happily to cheer on this new iteration of Ariel from the sidelines.
What do you think of this aww-inducing moment between Halle Bailey and Jodi Benson? Are you excited to see The Little Mermaid in theaters? Let us know in the comments below.