Halle Bailey is giving the upcoming Disney Junior version of Ariel a big thumbs up. The 24-year-old songstress recently reacted on social media to Disney Junior’s Ariel to the first teaser.
“This makes me so happy!!” Bailey wrote on her official Twitter/X account.
Bailey is the first Black Ariel that portrayed the character in recent life-action Disney remake of The Little Mermaid. The singer said at the time that she felt as if playing the character “helped her heal.”
“It’s been such a beautiful moment for me to be able to see the reactions of the babies — it makes me just emotionally overwhelmed honestly and I cry as soon as I watch them,” Bailey admitted in an interview with ET Online. “I think of the little girl that’s still in me, honestly, and it heals that girl inside of me to watch them feel like they have representation and someone to look to, to know that they deserve to be in those places too. [It’s] so important. It just makes me cry anytime I see any of those videos.”
This new interaction of the Disney classic will continue to inspire, following in the spirit of Bailey’s success. Disney Junior’s Ariel is set to capture the imagination of preschoolers everywhere with highlighting the multicultural diversity of the Caribbean through music, food, festivals, fashion, language and folklore.
Want a more in-depth synopsis of what to expect? Keep reading below!
Set in the fantastical Caribbean-inspired underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the series follows young mermaid princess Ariel as she embarks on fun-filled, action-packed mermaid adventures with her friends. It features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures.
Disney Junior’s Ariel will star Mykal-Michelle Harris (Disney Channel’s, Raven’s Home) as Ariel and Broadway, film and television stars Taye Diggs (Rent) and Amber Riley (Glee) as King Triton and Ursula.
The new animated-series will swim ashore Disney Junior and Disney+ on June 26.
Photo: Halle Bailey Instagram; Disney
