Breaking the internet, Halle Bailey stars in Disney’s live-action remake of their infamous “The Little Mermaid.” According to its Director, Rob Marshall, he is so proud of the diverse cast they have put up together. The director also cleared out that there was no ‘agenda’ in casting Halle as Ariel, the main character, in the movie. 

"It had nothing to do with anything exterior. It had everything to do with the interior — what she brings to it, the beauty, the passion, the fierceness, the vulnerability, the joy, the heart. Everything that she has was what we were looking for with Ariel," Marshall said in an interview with Deadline Hollywood. 

After the release of its first teaser trailer in September at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, Halle debuted her first public appearance as Ariel. Bailey's rendition of “Part of Your World” stunned fans worldwide with her angelic voice. 

After trending on different platforms, different reactions from young audiences went viral. Netizens on Twitter praised the diversity of the film. People also reiterated the importance and value of representation in mainstream media. On TikTok, parents also shared some heart-warming reactions of their children after watching the teaser. 

@zaneholmestiktok

Black kids react to little mermaid trailer! ♥️

♬ original sound - Zane

Meanwhile, others also expressed their disappointment with the live-action remake of the 1989 Oscar-winning animated film. On the official teaser trailer posted on Youtube, a report stated that it received 1.5 million dislikes. Most of these concerns are rooted in the color of its lead actress, saying it is “far” from the cartoon character. Trevor Noah, the host of The Daily Show, pushes back the “Internet racists” by clarifying that Ariel is only a fictional character; therefore, a Black woman can still play the role. Furthermore, Trevor also mentioned that he doesn’t understand why people keep saying that the actress looks “nothing like” the character. “Nothing like? They both have the tail, they both have the red [hair],” the host said. 

Despite mixed reactions from the public, the movie would still push through next year, May 2023, hoping to be “part of our world.”