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Stars Were Dressed to the Gills at the Premiere of Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’

in Entertainment, Movies, Movies & TV

Posted on by Melanie Weir
The stars of The Little Mermaid onstage at the premiere

Credit: WDW News

The world premiere of Disney’s live-action version of their 1989 classic, The Little Mermaid, took place in Hollywood last night, and all the stars were dressed to impress – and, perhaps more importantly, dressed in the spirit of the movie itself.

Star Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel, was obviously the star of the show, and she wasn’t afraid to show it off in a metallic, shimmering bodycon ballgown, with a dramatic ruffled top reminiscent of Ariel’s signature seashells.

The dress shone in every color of the rainbow but definitely had a tendency to linger on the green, purple, and blue hues that The Little Mermaid is known for.

Her costar, Jonah Hauer King, on the other hand, kept things subdued, opting for a plain black suit and no tie – a classic look that redirects attention to his female castmates on the carpet.

Of course, not everybody in a suit is bound to blend in. Actor Jacob Tremblay, the voice of Flounder (as well as the originator of the role in the Broadway production), stood out – not really because of his sharp gray suit, but because of how old he looked in it; he really shot up during The Little Mermaid‘s production.

Speaking of role originators, the mother of all original Little Mermaid characters was there in all her glory – Jodi Benson, the voice of the animated Ariel, looked absolutely stunning in a sparkly white ballgown with cascading sleeves. It was a dress most befitting of true Disney Royalty.

While we’re on the subject of Disney Royalty, Anika Noni Rose – AKA Princess Tiana – was also there to show her support to her fellow Disney Princess, looking lovely in a strapless gold evening gown with sparkles galore, not unlike the one Ariel wears at the end of the original film.

Related: Disney Commissioned New Orleans Teacher for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Concept Art

That being said, nobody on the carpet was sparkling as much as Daveed Diggs, who wore an entire suit made of sequins – taking an entirely different tack from his other male costars.

(It makes sense – if you’re only appearing onscreen as a crab, you wanna strut your stuff on the carpet as much as you can.)

Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem looked amazing posing together – something King Triton and Ursula would never do – with Bardem in an understated black suit, and McCarthy in a blue gown, with puffed sleeves that made a slight nod to Ursula’s curling tentacles.

Related: Melissa McCarthy Teases Sympathetic Villain in ‘The Little Mermaid’: “There’s A Little Ursula In All Of Us”

Simone Ashley was another showstopper from the cast, strutting her stuff in a hot pink and cream number that was half minidress, half ballgown.

Fans of the Netflix series Bridgerton may recognize Ashley as Kate Sharma, Anthony’s love interest in Season 2 of the show, but she is also playing one of Ariel’s sisters: Indira, named for the Indian Ocean.

Related: ‘Bridgerton’ Fans Rejoice As ‘Queen Charlotte’ Explains How A Black Queen Came To Power

Last but not least: She’s not a member of the cast, but fans of R&B music will be excited to see that Chloe Bailey, of the famed duo Chloe x Halle, was there to support her sister at the premiere, sporting a fabulously loud yellow mermaid cut gown with a keyhole-style cutout on the front, rimmed with sparkles.

She shimmered like a beautiful piece of coral underwater on a sunny day.

The Little Mermaid doesn’t dock in theatres until the end of the month, but if the quality of these Blue Carpet looks are any indication of the movie itself, we have a lot to look forward to.

You can get tickets for the premiere on Friday, May 26 – or earlier dates in select cities – at your local movie theater now.

in Entertainment, Movies, Movies & TV

Melanie Weir

Melanie Weir has been a professional writer for five years, and has been writing Entertainment news for three of those. She's especially passionate about Disney, Theatre, and sitcoms. When she's not writing or re-analyzing her favorite media, you can find her co-hosting 'Made You Watch...(a podcast)' with her former coworker Adam Mock. You can also see her act in the the award-winning YouTube series 'Please Help' from Enstarz Media, which she co-wrote.

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