Credit: Inside the MagicThe previous actress for Ariel isn’t about to give Halle Bailey any advice!
Related: “Black Little Mermaid” Discussion Prompts Comparison to “14 Year Old Pocahontas”
At this year’s D23 Expo, The Walt Disney Company presented the initial official trailer for The Little Mermaid (2023), offering Disney enthusiasts their first peek at Halle Bailey’s portrayal of Ariel. The forthcoming movie is a reimagining of the 1989 Disney Renaissance masterpiece, The Little Mermaid, itself a reimagining of the original Hans Christian Andersen tale, in which Jodi Benson played the part of King Triton’s youngest daughter, a red-haired mermaid who gave up her voice to the Sea Witch, Ursula (Pat Carroll), in order to seek out her true love, Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes), on land.
The new The Little Mermaid remake
Rob Marshall directs this new version of The Little Mermaid, which aims to offer a distinctly different take on the classic story and film. The film will feature a star-studded cast, including Melissa McCarthy as Ursula the Sea Witch with an eye out for “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Awkwafina as Scuttle the seagull, and Halle Bailey as Ariel. Additionally, the movie will feature new music composed by Alan Menken, the original composer of the 1989 film, as well as Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator and star of the musical Hamilton, who has previously contributed to Disney’s big productions, such as Moana (2016) and Encanto (2022).
Related: Drag Queen Icon Nina West And Melissa McCarthy Have a Moment at “The Little Mermaid” Premiere
Why Jodi Benson won’t give Halle Bailey any advice
New Ariel actress Halle Bailey has been getting rave reviews in the role, despite a lot of controversy for being the first Black actress to portray Ariel.
Recently, 1989’s The Little Mermaid lead Jodi Benson, who voiced and sang in the iconic role, took to the red carpet of the new The Little Mermaid movie premiere, answering some questions regarding her successor. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Benson opens up about why she refused to give new actress Bailey any tips on becoming a Disney Princess — and taking on her role, no less.
Interviewer: Were you able to give Halle any advice on becoming a Disney Princess and embodying Ariel, or did you want her to just do her own —
Jodi Benson: She doesn’t need any advice from me, she’s brilliant!
The original voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson, gushes over Halle Bailey's "brilliant" performance in #TheLittleMermaid: "I'm so proud of her." pic.twitter.com/rxHwrOwRPY
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) May 9, 2023
Benson just seems absolutely thrilled with Bailey’s refreshing new take on the character, and doesn’t feel like she needs to give her any advice whatsoever! Bailey definitely seems like she’s taken all the legacy advice from Menken and potentially original lyricist, the late Howard Ashman, however — who was adamant that the singing style match the tone of the scenes. This was accomplished by asking the voice actors to deliberately not belt like they’re on stage — something Jodi Benson took on and executed flawlessly.
You can watch Disney’s official clip featuring Halle Bailey’s touching rendition of “Part of Your World” here:
What do you think about Jodi Benson not giving Halle Bailey any advice? Share your thoughts in the comments below!