“The Little Mermaid” director explains why Halle Bailey was cast, “Not because she is black” 

Disney’s live-action film “The Little Mermaid”, which has been controversial from the casting, is set to be released in May next year.

With only 8 days left until 2023, director Rob Marshall, who directed the live-action film “The Little Mermaid”, once again mentioned the reason for casting Halle Bailey.

On December 22nd, as reported by People, director Rob Marshall revealed the real reason why black actress Halle Bailey was selected for the role of the Little Mermaid in a recent interview.

Rob Marshall said, “We didn’t have anything specific in mind when casting Halle Bailey. We were just looking for the best actress for the role.”

He continued, “We saw everybody and every ethnicity. The goal was to pick someone who can be incredibly strong, passionate, beautiful, smart, and clever.”

“Of course, Ariel has to sing well. Her voice is something that is so signature, ethereal, and beautiful that it captures the heart of Prince Eric and he looks for her for the entire film,” Marshall explained.

He emphasized, “I didn’t cast her because she is black,” saying that Halle Bailey had the exact qualities he wanted for the Little Mermaid.

Shortly after casting Halle Bailey, Rob Marshall said, “I was very impressed to see black parents showing and sharing the image of Halle Bailey’s Little Mermaid to their children. I realized how important this casting was.”

Despite numerous controversies and divided opinions, Disney said, “The original author of The Little Mermaid is Danish. Ariel is a mermaid who lives in an underwater kingdom all over the world and can legally swim anywhere. Danish can be black, so Danish mermaids can be black,” stressing that there is no problem with casting.

Source: Insight.