After waiting a couple of years, Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid is finally filming, and recent set photos have emerged, giving us a first look at everyone’s favourite mermaid Ariel, stumbling on land like a fish out of water.
The behind-the-scenes snapshots came courtesy of the entertainment site, Just Jared, and took the Disney community by storm. The pictures show actor, and Grammy nominated star Halle Bailey (who will be portraying the underwater princess Ariel) in full costume filming on location. In the photos, Bailey is covered by an unidentifiable material that seems to have been made into a quick makeshift outfit. The image calls back to the moment in the 1989 animation where Ariel covered her body with an abandoned white sail on the beach after her leggy transformation.
Seeing the direct link to the original animation being used in the live-action will no doubt please any Disney purists, and help calm down everyone who is still upset that Ariel isn’t going to be a redhead this time round.
Brand new set photos featuring Halle Bailey as “The Little Mermaid” were just released and we have so many pics here for you to get a sneak peek at the upcoming live action movie! https://t.co/oZpGCNglcu
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) June 21, 2021
The Little Mermaid is one of Disney’s most beloved animations, and despite its current filming status, it was actually one of the first films discussed in the live-action conversation. According to a past article from Deadline, the film was in early development as far back as 2016. However, despite being in the pipeline for so long, and due to Covid-19 halting its production, a set release date for the aquatic blockbuster has yet to be confirmed.
However, before we all start crying and selling our souls to sea witches for updates, the set photos show that the movie is at least on its way. This will be Bailey’s first major role, but with her strong singing voice, fans can rest easy since the star should handle bringing the siren princess to life. The film will feature iconic music numbers from the original as well as some new additions composed by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Whether your apprehensive or excited about Disney’s upcoming live-action take on another classic, we can all agree that at least The Little Mermaid’s soundtrack will be banging. With these photos paired with the recent casting news for the Snow White live-action, it seems to have been Disney’s week, and we are all excited for future updates.
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