While you’d think being crowned a literal Disney Princess would be all sparkly and magical, when Halle Bailey was cast in the live-action The Little Mermaid back in 2019, she was met with a lot of negativity from the public. It all ended up OK. Bailey’s performance was praised by critics, and her Ariel doll becoming a bestseller proved her version had been embraced. But what did Halle Bailey’s big sister Chloe think about the public backlash?

Chloe Bailey is a couple of years older than Halle, and the big sister energy is palpable when she was recently asked to comment on whether it was “tough” to see the racist reactions to her sibling's live-action role. Here's what she had to say:

The opposing commentary to Halle Bailey’s role in The Little Mermaid happened directly after her name was revealed as the lead of the Disney flick – before the actress had a chance to even play Ariel or give anyone anything of substance to judge. It felt like a clear attack on the decision to cast a Black actress rather than someone who looked exactly like the animated character.

Prior to The Little Mermaid casting, Chloe and Halle came up together as the duo Chloe x Halle. When Halle was cast as Ariel, it felt like a coming-of-age moment for the sisters as they went on their own journeys as singers and actors. That being said, it sounds like they’ve emotionally stuck together through it all, and Chloe really lived Halle’s The Little Mermaid experience with her.

In Chloe’s new interview with Variety, the singer and actress also spoke to the relationship she and Halle have after coming up in the public eye together. In her words:

Chloe and Halle Bailey have also had support from Beyoncé since the pop legend signed them to her record label back in 2015. Chloe said that one piece of advice Bey gave them was the “no scroll rule: don’t read the comments, don’t read what people are saying and don’t even let it fill your head up.” Surely, that must have come in handy for Halle, particularly following her The Little Mermaid casting.

Following Halle's going viral for her high-profile Disney role, both sisters have remained busy balancing their acting and singing careers. Halle was just in an empowering rom-com with Regé-Jean Page, You, Me & Tuscany, and Chloe is in one of this week’s latest straight-to-streaming 2026 movie releases, Strung, which is a horror movie now streaming for those with a Peacock subscription.

In the interview, Chloe also said that her and Halle’s time apart from their duo act has allowed them to strengthen “two halves of the heart” and they’ll “be even better” once they inevitably reunite as Chloe x Halle. It’s clear Chloe is the best big sister to Halle, and her comments underline how her support has played a role in her sister's career.

This past weekend, we got our first studio rom-com in a while: You, Me & Tuscany. The movie starring Regé-Jean Page and Halle Bailey may have had a bummer of a debut at the box office weekend against the commercial giant that is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but it’s sure been a crowd-pleaser among those who’ve seen it. I enjoyed the new release myself, but I have to talk about one thing I wish didn’t change. Its title!

What Was The Original Title Of You, Me & Tuscany?

Before the movie was You, Me & Tuscany, it was called Italianna when Deadline reported the project was in motion a year ago. From the outside looking in, I can see why they changed the title because the final title sounds a lot more outwardly like a romantic comedy, which I’m sure Universal wanted to have people aware of when marketing took place. At the same time, I don’t think the title makes much sense to the movie itself, if I’m being honest.

Why I Prefer It To The Final Title

Now that I’ve seen You, Me & Tuscany, I have even deeper thoughts about why I wish they had kept with the original title they started out with. This is where we get into SPOILERS.

You, Me & Tuscany is a romantic comedy, of course, but I think its biggest strength revolves around how Bailey’s character, Anna, finds where she belongs and processes some of her grief regarding the loss of her mom on her trip to Italy. Sure, it’s about her falling in love with the hot guy from Bridgerton, but the only reason it becomes a romance is that Anna really wanted to go to Italy for the longest time, and she finally makes the leap after meeting Matteo. You, Me & Tuscany is kind of an odd way to describe the movie. Especially since two men are involved in the romantic plot.

Why Italianna is the perfect title comes down to a scene toward the end of the movie when Anna ends up making the meal with Matteo’s family and is given full approval and inclusion from Matteo’s family as a part of them and as a cook. At that moment, one of the family members calls her “Italianna”, which is the moment that hit me the hardest when I was watching it. The whole moment was underlined to me because I knew the movie first as Italianna, and I knew the official reason why.

But there are more layers to that. Her name is literally Anna in the movie … OK, maybe that’s not very deep, but I think the original title centers the movie more about Anna’s journey as a character rather than it being centered on her romance in the film, and fits the whole plot a lot better. Don’t get me wrong, it’s important that it’s a romance, but to me, the Italianna title sells it more as the Under The Tuscan Sun vibe it’s surely going for and less like the Disney Channel meets Hallmark title it has.

Sure, I’m probably nitpicking, but I genuinely do think that titles can make all the difference to movies. I have to wonder if other people feel the same way I do or not. Let me know in the comments!

Every now and again a rom-com drops that has a rewatchability component that is bar none. You know what I’m talking about, the type of rom-com that you’d throw on whether you were browsing cable channels or going through a list of brand new streaming releases. The type of rom-com you’ve watched so many times you know lines like “You have a baby. In a bar.” The type of releases that make best all-time rom-com lists. I wanted You, Me & Tuscany to be that rom-com. Indeed, it was delightful when I saw it during release week, but I'm getting very concerned about the future of this rom-com, and rom-coms in general.

If you’ve seen You, Me & Tuscany, by now you probably know it features a charming Italian family, a very wet Regè-Jean Page and a lot of wine-drinking. It’s also landing reasonably good reviews from the critics (CinemaBlend gave it a 3/5), and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes are especially bullish, handing it an impressive 93% rating. That hasn’t translated to box office, however.

During opening weekend, You, Me & Tuscany did not land at No. 1. It did not land at two or three on the list either, as Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Project Hail Mary, and The Drama all pulled in tidier sums than the Halle Bailey-fronted film. This is bad news for rom-coms as a whole, and it's really bumming me out.

If Solid Movies Can't Earn Money, What's Next For Rom-Coms?

I know rom-coms can work at the box office, because I saw Anyone But You open to a packed audience back in 2023. It’s a genre that often falls into the “I’ll catch this at home” trap, but figuring out ways to get people back into theaters for genres that aren’t tentpole films or horror is so paramount to keeping the theater as a viable option longterm. In my opinion, it's also just better to watch a good rom-com with an audience, so when a decent one isn’t moving the needle, it really hurts.

It makes sense when mediocre rom-coms come out and don't do well. We have to vote with our wallets, and spending money for movies that aren't worth it is hard when popcorn and more up the ante a ton. However, in this case, if a movie with two notable leads that seems to have been enjoyed by nearly everyone who saw it can't make it, what can?

Furthermore, producer Will Packer spoke out about You, Me & Tuscany and its Black-led cast ahead of release, and made a second good point: you don’t see people like Bailey and Page in those “type of environments” (in this case, a winery in Italy). It’s a fun story and I want more diversity in rom-coms, too.

We are currently in a landscape where even when a rom-com does well, it doesn’t always get its due. It’s still absolutely crazy to me that Crazy Rich Asians absolutely dominated in theaters in 2018 and we never got a sequel, despite the fact there’s literally a sequel book just ripe for adaptation. (Though, maybe one day that will change…) Most rom-coms are still being relegated to streaming, too. While I don’t mind watching at home with my mom-sized glass of wine, I’d still rather have some Twizzlers, a gal pal, and a giant screen to look forward to. But if we want better-than-mediocre rom-coms to be made, we as fans have to start showing up for them.

There’s something about a romantic scene involving water falling on a couple that just hits different. There are multiple rain scenes in Bridgerton that come to mind when I think about this kind of sequence. The rom-com on the 2026 movie schedule, You, Me & Tuscany, also features a couple of great moments involving sprinklers raining down on the main characters. You should note that both of the projects I just mentioned star Regé-Jean Page, and recently, he revealed that while these scenes look great, there’s an “unglamorous truth” about making them.

While our review of You, Me & Tuscany gave the film three out of five stars, other reactions to the rom-com used adjectives like “slo-mo, wet, and shirtless” to describe it. You can see Page wet and shirtless specifically in a scene that involves sprinklers in his character Michael’s vineyard going off on him and Halle Bailey’s Anna. In the moment, Anna wants to protect her hair, so Michael takes off his shirt to cover her. Meanwhile, they get soaked, and it’s quite romantic.

It’s a swoon-worthy moment on the big screen; however, according to Page, in reality, it’s a technical exercise, as he told Joy Anokwuru:

Page’s co-star, Bailey, chimed in, saying it’s “very hard” to do these kinds of sequences. And I totally see why. Not only are they acting, but they also have to deal with water spraying down on them, and they have to look good as it’s happening.

According to the Bridgerton star, they’re tough to film, and for the first few takes, they’re usually just getting used to the water, as he said:

Now, I know I’d love to see the bloopers for the Bridgerton scene below, where Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) confesses her love for Simon (Page) in the rain. It’s epic and beautiful and so, so, so romantic. However, I bet the takes we can’t see with a Netflix subscription aren’t nearly as swoon-worthy and maybe even feature them trying to get water out of their face.

The challenges that come with wet scenes are well-documented. On Season 2 of Bridgerton, Simone Ashley noted that they needed “a lot of hair dryers” on set to make sure they were able to get through a long and wet shoot inovlving rian. Meanwhile, Kirsten Dunst once said that she and Tobey Maguire were “freezing” as they filmed that iconic Spider-Man kiss.

However, thankfully, what wasn’t glamorous on set wound up being magical on screen. As Regé-Jean Page concluded:

They sure do, and that’s 100% the case in the new movie You, Me & Tuscany. The sprinkler scenes that inspired this discussion are very cute and serve as important moments in the romance between Page and Bailey's characters.

Now, to see the romantic and wet moments that were likely “unglamorous” to film, you can catch You, Me & Tuscany in theaters right now.

Audiences heading out to catch You, Me & Tuscany as it hits the 2026 movie release calendar this weekend are undoubtedly in for some spectacular views, and I’m not just talking about the picturesque Italian vistas. Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page star in the new rom-com from Kat Coiro, which is one of many films directed by women that we’re excited about. “Excited” may be a bit of an understatement, given critics’ choice of adjectives in their reactions to the Bridgerton alum.

In CinemaBlend’s review of You, Me & Tuscany, however, Sarah El-Mahmoud finds it a bit difficult to get too thrilled about Regé-Jean Page’s rom-com, though she admits he adds the “yearning and sexual tension” required by the “dream guy” of such a plot. She rates it 3 stars out of 5, writing:

It’s true — You, Me & Tuscany presents a fairly formulaic romantic-comedy plot, but it’s important and all-too-rare that we see two Black leads playing these roles on the big screen. And when it comes to Page slipping back into the enemies-to-lovers dynamic that drove Bridgerton fans so wild, Mashable’s Kristy Puchko says it deserves to be seen on the big screen. She writes:

Nell Minow of RogerEbert rates it 3 out of 4 stars, saying that despite being “utterly predictable,” the leads are charming, the score is bright, the food looks luscious and the scenery is beautiful. Regé-Jean Page “gives good glower,” and the critic says to be sure to stay for the post-credit scene for some very funny reactions to the shirtless Bridgerton star. Minow says of Page’s character:

Michael Conway of JoBlo gives it a “Good” 7 out of 10, saying the director serves up a premium escapist fantasy, complete with sweeping cinematography and throwback noughties jams. Of course we already know where it’s all going, but just like the “mouthwatering” dishes served up throughout the film, with a recipe this delicious and comforting, you’re always happy to order it again. Regé-Jean Page is the standout here, though, as Conway says:

Guy Lodge of Variety is another critic who’s not taken enough by the wet and shirtless Black Bag star to overlook the film’s “listless writing, gauche brand placement and stock-footage aesthetic.” Sure, we get to see Halle Bailey in a non-musical role and Regé-Jean Page on dreamboat duty, but it never reaches the level of escapism that it wants to. Lodge says of the leading couple:

It’s a good thing it doesn’t take much more than the adjectives above — luscious, wet, mouthwatering, etc. — for audiences to fill in some of those blanks in their heads.

Predictable though it may be, You, Me & Tuscany holds an above-average 70% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter, so get out to theaters this weekend if you want to support Black love, yummy food, Italian scenery and a bare-chested Regé-Jean Page.

In today’s day and age, taking a seat in a movie theater to see a major studio-backed romantic comedy practically never happens. So, You, Me & Tuscany is kind of a beautiful anomaly, and I miss that kind of experience from yesteryear. But after seeing this, be warned that we’re talking about a movie that harkens closer to the hit-or-miss 2010s rather than the golden age of the 1990s and 2000s with Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page’s corny, yet cute trip to Italy.

You, Me & Tuscany comes from producer Will Packer, who has made some really fun Black-led comedies like Think Like A Man, Ride Along and Girls Trip, and this film feels like the filmmaker’s valiant effort to lean into a more romantic (but PG-13) effort with two great stars. The movie has enough to be amused by, but if you’re expecting anything more than a just-decent theatrical return to the genre, you may find yourself feeling like you’re eating grapes picked a bit too soon from the vine.

You, Me & Tuscany shares a lot of story DNA with the classic Sandra Bullock 1995 romantic comedy While You Were Sleeping. After meeting a man once, a woman gets into a situation where she gets mistaken for his fiancée and ends up running with the lie thanks to his family's overwhelming kindness (and his hot brother). Except this time, we’re in Tuscany, Italy, and it feels like a very Hollywood depiction of what the Italian version of the story would be like.

You, Me & Tuscany is a fine-enough romantic comedy to get swept into… if your expectations aren’t high.

In the case of this movie, we meet Anna (Bailey), a professional house sitter, who’s known to get swept away in her customers’ lavish lifestyles every once in a while since quitting culinary school after dealing with a tragic loss. One evening, she finds herself making the acquaintance of an Italian real estate agent named Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor) who lets her know that he has a villa in Tuscany just sitting there. Oh, and Anna somehow already has a plane ticket to Italy booked from before her loss. After some drunken encouragement from Matteo, off she goes.

Anna doesn't initially have the intention of using Matteo's place, but when her last minute trip doesn't go as planned, she decides to crash there and gets caught. In an effort to not go to prison, she goes along with their assumption that she's the fiancée of Matteo, since their meeting happened just moments after she finds a beautiful engagement ring and slips it on.

I can't help but feel like there's something disingenuous about the plotline since Anna doesn't have anywhere else to go and had already dreamt of being a chef in Italy. It makes the whole movie feel a bit too convenient and manipulative to the audience rather than having a magic to it I look for from a really good rom-com.

A lot of the movie was filmed in location in Tuscany, Italy, making for a transporting film for a little while. And yet, at the same time, there’s not enough landmarks on the itinerary to feel like you hit all the stops. Oh, and disappointingly so, the soundtrack is full of chart-topping hits and a rather unromantic Italian score.

Halle Bailey’s sweetness carries the film, and makes you root for the formulaic journey.

Funny enough, for a movie that I thought would be a launching pad for Halle Bailey outside of her The Little Mermaid role, there’s something very Disney-esque about the whole movie, give or take a few sexual innuendos. Bailey does use this to her advantage, considering her sweet, likable charm makes the ride more fun to go on. A lot of big laughs come from her best friend Claire (Aziza Scott), who she talks to throughout the trip, and her taxi driver Lorenzo (Marco Calvani) while she grounds it with lightness and heart.

Anna is a character who is basically conning an entire family for a practically free vacation and to get out of prison time, so it would be a lot harder to get on board if Anna wasn’t easy to root for. The movie’s biggest strength is in the found-family message, which is deliciously communicated through the cooking subplot of the film Anna gets pulled into by her fake family-to-be.

Regé-Jean Page is a solid romantic co-lead with Anna, who adds the kind of yearning and sexual tension we’re looking for in You, Me & Tuscany. However, the movie also decides to start with a more enemies-to-lovers vibe between them that feels a bit out of place and weak. Much like every character in the film, there’s not a lot of depth to gather from these two aside from them both having very similar life experiences to pull from a couple of conversations. Page is playing the “dream guy”, and that’s about it.

It ultimately feels like a fairytale-esque story that isn’t rooted in reality.

Throughout You, Me & Tuscany, you’ll find yourself noticing all the neat puzzle pieces of the storyline that work for Anna throughout to the point that you’ll settle for giving up and just letting the things come together in this weird alternate reality where everything is serendipitous and works in this girl’s favor despite her frequent carelessness. There’s also quite a few beats that one could easily guess shortly before it happens. Though, I will give the movie a few extra points for breaking what I expected out of the characters on a few occasions.

Don’t get me wrong: Kat Coiro’s movie is absolutely watchable, and adequately balances funny moments with the whole will-they-won’t-they of it all. But there’s nothing incredibly swoon-worthy here to write home about. If you like yourself a rom-com, you’ll get your helping of all the ingredients that will fill you up by the time you leave, but it lacks the pizzazz that can turn a movie from the genre into a gem or all-time favorite. And hey, that’s OK! It’s just that there’s been so many middling romantic comedies of this caliber as of late.

Halle Bailey first made a splash when she was cast as Ariel in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid. Now, in the actress’s 2026 movie release, she’ll be on the dry land of Tuscany, Italy, for a rom-com with Regé-Jean Page about a young cook falling for the cousin of her fake fiancée. So, as we get closer to the movie's release, Bailey explained why she was excited to work with Page for her new rom-com, and I’ll give you one clue why: it rhymes with Fridgerton.

In their interview with Seen on the Screen with Jacqueline Coley, Regé-Jean Page explained his excitement about working with Halle Bailey on You, Me & Tuscany, noting that he loved her ability to have audiences “embrace her.” As for the Grown-ish actress, she was excited to work with the man whom fans dub the “internet’s boyfriend” for one big reason (and yes, it is related to that hit romance series you can stream with a Netflix subscription):

Yes, the legendary Duke Simon Bassett, who was major eye candy to Netflix subscribers on Bridgerton. While it was a real shame Page left the series after Season 1, it’s nice that he’s still making us swoon in the rom-com genre. I can truly imagine the fan girl in Bailey getting to work with such a Regency-era hunk like Page!

It was easy to feast your eyes on Regé-Jean Page when he was in Bridgerton. From partaking in Season 1’s sexiest scenes between Simon and Daphne, as well as its heartwarming moments, Page’s charisma made him one of the show's breakout stars that audiences couldn’t stop talking about. I’m sure it’ll be the same deal when we get to see him fall for Halle Bailey's character in their new rom-com.

The Color Purple actress also made an excellent point about her and the Emmy nominee being “Black leaders” who put joy into a work of art. They've both led massive projects with romance at the heart of them, with The Little Mermaid and Bridgerton, and I'd imagine that having those experiences helped them collaborate on this new rom-com.

According to its producer, Will Packer, You, Me & Tuscany is so “important” because audiences will see two Black leads have a romantic Italian adventure. He continued by saying, "You don't always see people that look like Halle and like Regé in those environments." And so it's important to make this movie, because it makes it so that even more people can see themselves in beautiful stories like this one.

So, it’s no surprise that Halle Bailey would be psyched to get to work with Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page. Considering how charming he was on the Netflix series, you’d easily want to hop on a plane to Tuscany knowing you might experience the same romantic magic. You can watch Bailey and Page’s glowing chemistry in You, Me & Tuscany in theaters on April 10th.

When Bridgerton vet Regé-Jean Page signed on for a new rom-com, it was a given that his adoringly thirsty fanbase would be there with bells on, and Little Mermaid vet Halle Bailey playing his on-screen lover has only helped bring the 2026 movie release into the spotlight even more. You, Me & Tuscany is set to hit theaters in early April, and while one might not automatically think about it as one of the more unique movies coming out, Bailey and producer Will Packer addressed its impact as a relatively rare rom-com studio release with two Black actors as leads.

One of several upcoming movies boasting female directors, You, Me & Tuscany stars Bailey as the sprightly young cook Anna, whose impulsive choices lead her to squat in a temporarily empty Tuscan villa, sparking a whirlwind of romance, falsehoods and excitement after she crosses paths with the villa-owner’s cousin, portrayed by Page. Nothing too complicated or wacky about it, and that’s entirely the point.

Packer and Bailey appeared on SiriusXM’s Sway in the Morning (via YouTube), where host Sway Calloway talked about Theodore Witcher’s 1997 rom-com drama Love Jones as the first genre example he could remember that was led by Black actors. Asked about the importance of that particular representation, Packer responded with:

Indeed, the first time I saw the trailer for You, Me & Tuscany, I may have made some kind of jokey comment about it looking like a rom-com from the late 1990s. (Not even chidingly, since that's a golden age for the best rom-coms.) But the egg's in my face there anyway, since movie casting from that era wasn't ever built around equality in such a way.

Packer continued, saying that the story being told is universally enjoyable escapism, pointing to the two leads as the biggest reasons for him to help back this movie as an all-audience play. He said:

You, Me & Tuscany is helmed by Kat Coiro, who'd previously directed for It’s Always Sunny and Matlock, as well as the 2022 Jennifer Lopez-starring rom-com Marry Me. She's often behind the camera for widely popular projects with strong female leads, such as She-Hulk and Girls5Eva, and her fifth feature is clearly no exception.

The movie is Halle Bailey's first after her triple-threat breakout in 2023, with appearances in The Color Purple and The Line joining her arrivial as a Disney Princess. She followed Will Packer's words with her perspective as one of the on-screen leads, saying:

Suffice to say, Bailey is all about bringing more POC stories to the big screen, and we are definitely here for it as well. As a horror fan, I'm always going to beat the drum for Disney vets to step into the dark side, but I guess I can wait a few years before making genre-specific pleas.

Speaking to her eagerness to use her position as an actress to put more of a spotlight on Black characters, she believes it came from her time with The Little Mermaid . As she put it:

All the snaps, girl. Every last one.

Perhaps speaking to Universal's confidence in You, Me & Tuscany, I have literally seen its trailer ahead of every movie I've watched in theaters in the past three months. And speaking to my aforementioned fandom, several of those were horror movies, and none of them were romantic comedies. I've also heard the audio preview as an ad for several podcasts, which isn't something I hear all the time.

So if there's anything else that anyone should be doing the weekend of April 10 beyond watching You, Me & Tuscany in theaters (followed by all the things one does after seeing gorgeous people in gorgeous settings), I don't know what it is.

Odessa A’zion has made a huge splash following Marty Supreme, as she can now bill herself as a BAFTA-nominated actress for the rest of her days. A’zion will almost certainly become a more in-demand actress following her success here, but it turns out that she took a swing at an even bigger role a few years ago that even she admits she completely bombed.

Walking the red carpet for the Oscars this past weekend, Odessa A’zion was asked by Variety about her worst audition, and she didn’t even have to think about it. It turns out A’zion auditioned for the live-action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, but she completely screwed up the song. The actress explained:

Forgetting the words to a song is going to be rough in any situation when you need to have them memorized, but to be fair, that alone probably didn’t kill the audition for Odessa A’zion. It was probably clear that she was nervous, and that’s understandable. A lot of people auditioning to play Ariel were probably nervous. It was a big part in what was sure to be a big movie.

However, A’zion being unable to sing “Part of Your World” normally probably didn’t do her any favors. One imagines the people in the audition wanted to hear her natural voice, and if they were unable to do so, then they wouldn’t be able to really judge how she’d sound. Still, I can totally understand why she practiced the song sounding like Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel. If you’re auditioning to play a live-action version of a Disney Princess, you use one of the all-time great Disney Princesses as a model. Of course you do.

A’zion confirmed that she never heard a word back after her audition, and certainly didn’t get a call back. The role of Ariel in the live-action remake would ultimately go to Halle Bailey, who most critics and fans praised. The film did reasonably well at the box office, although it is generally seen as a financial disappointment, as Disney clearly expected it to be one of the billion-dollar live-action remake blockbusters.

Considering A’zion’s star is now on the rise, she’d probably have a decent shot at a future Disney live-action remake if she wanted to go after one. Although if the memory of her previous attempt makes her never want to go through that again, I would completely understand.

The Little Mermaid's live-action adaptation received largely rave reviews from audiences, to the point where appetite for a sequel has been growing. Who wouldn't want to see one of the best kids movies for a new generation come back for another movie? And considering there's already an animated sequel to adapt, surely the work wouldn't be too hard. One would think, but there is a hangup about Halle Berry and Jonah Hauer-King aging up to play parents, though the former mentioned to CinemaBlend that sporting a beard may help him out.

I had the opportunity to speak to Jonah Hauer-King ahead of his latest appearance in the Doctor Who episode "Lucky Day," which is available to stream right now with a Disney+ subscription. Given that CinemaBlend's The Little Mermaid review gave it a favorable review, I wondered if there was anything he could say about returning as Prince Eric for a live-action adaptation of the sequel. He answered with this:

Of course, we had to talk about the fact that Eric and Ariel are parents in the sequel, meaning he'd have to look older. That didn't seem to be a problem for Hauer-King, who noted his facial fuzz potentially helps him look older.

The fact that he didn't say The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea is a complete impossibility sounds good for anyone who wants to see it. As for the rest, I'll let the reader decide is enough to make Jonah Hauer-King look old enough to have a child the same age as Melody, the daughter introduced in the direct-to-video sequel for the Disney movie. It's not out of the realm of possibility that an actor approaching his 30s could be the parent of a 12-year-old!

While that may be true, it may be harder for a general audience to imagine two actors they just saw a couple of years ago as Ariel and Eric are now parents to a pre-teen child. I'm sure there are maybe a person or two at Disney who think that too, considering that Jonah Hauer-King hasn't heard anything about a follow-up movie happening.

It also wouldn't be surprising if anyone at Disney was apprehensive to make a live-action sequel of The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea, as CinemaBlend's review might illustrate. With so many upcoming live-action Disney remakes on the horizon, I think it could be a while before Disney puts this one on the docket, but that's just speculation on my end. Hey, maybe by that time, Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King will look more convincing as parents.

We can only wait and see what happens. In the meantime, feel free to stream The Little Mermaid on Disney+ and read up on what Hauer-King had to say to CinemaBlend about his character's portrayal in the latest episode of Doctor Who. For those who haven't seen it, I would highly recommend it to see a completely different side of the young actor!

The world (or those with a Netflix subscription) first fell for the charm of Regé-Jean Page when he appeared as the Duke in Season 1 of Bridgerton. Then, he broke our hearts when it was revealed that he wouldn't be part of Bridgerton's Season 2 cast. Now, it's highly unlikely he'll ever return to his romance roots on Netflix. However, thankfully, he has signed up for a new rom-com that I'll 100% be seeing.

After Regé-Jean Page left Bridgerton, he made a quick transition to film. The British actor returned to Netflix as part of the cast of The Gray Man, and he played a suave hero in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. While it’s nice to see Page kicking ass in new roles, the Bridgerton fan in me has been yearning to see him in a romance. Fortunately, our wishes have come true, with Variety confirming that the Black Bag actor has signed on for a rom-com.

What we know so far about the romance-comedy flick is that it's titled Italianna. Also, Regé-Jean Page’s leading lady will be Halle Bailey, who blew audiences out of the water as Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Nettie in The Color Purple. The rom-com will be directed by Marry Me’s Kat Coiro and written by Beast’s Ryan Engle, however, there are no plot details yet. It is an original story though, and that only ups my excitement.

Without knowing what Italianna will be about, I’m already signing up, knowing that Regé-Jean Page leads it.

He was a total standout in Bridgerton’s first season. While his character was initially hesitant to let love in due to his childhood trauma, we saw his icy exterior melt into intense passion and vulnerability for Daphne Bridgerton. His chemistry with co-star Phoebe Dynevor was such a success that fans even hoped the two were dating in real life. The Regency heartthrob delivered such a charismatic performance that he was given “internet boyfriend” status by the fans, and he received nominations from the Emmys and the Screen Actors Guild.

Considering what a commanding screen presence Regé-Jean Page had in Bridgerton, it was a real shame we didn’t see him return in Season 2. Sure, that installment centered around the love story of Anthony and Kate, but it would have been nice to see Simon cameo with Daphne.

The reason the talented actor left Bridgerton after Season 1 comes with a short and long answer. The short version was to focus on the love story of another Bridgerton character. The long version says Page reportedly could have come back and received $50,000 per episode. However, he decided to stick with his guns and not return to best serve the story’s original direction and characters.

We may not have Regé-Jean Page anymore on Bridgerton, but at least we have another excuse to swoon over him in his upcoming rom-com. He’ll no doubt bring the same allure, intensity, and stares that made audiences love him in the first place.

After several years, and more than one significant delay, the live-action remake of Disney’s Snow White finally arrives in theaters this weekend. Critics have been mixed on the new film, though our own Snow White review was a solid one. There are significant questions regarding how Snow White’s box office will turn out, but Rachel Zegler is celebrating the film’s release, as is another live-action Disney Princess: Halle Bailey.

Rachel Zegler’s casting as Snow White was met with immediate backlash from a subset of the internet that didn’t like that she was non-white. The same thing happened when Halle Bailey became the live-action Ariel in The Little Mermaid. The two supported each other when Little Mermaid was released and now they’re doing it again. In an Instagram post for the release from Zegler, Bailey replied…

To be sure Snow White simply being released is something of an accomplishment considering the movie's tumultuous production. It was back in the summer of 2021 that Zegler's casting as Snow White was officially announced. However, it was almost immediately met with anger from those who didn't like that a Latina actress had been chosen.

Halle Bailey herself had to deal with racism from those who didn’t like that she wasn’t white. Zegler’s casting as Snow White had already been announced before Little Mermaid had been released, leading to the two actresses finding an unfortunate connection between them. Zegler responded back to Bailey saying…

It’s nice to see that the support the two stars have shown each other has continued to the release of Snow White. The backlash against both movies was unfortunately the most common way the movies were discussed prior to their release. While there were also positive responses from those people who appreciated the diversity and visibility, the angry voices were often louder online.

What’s unclear is how much, if at all, all the controversy impacted the movie’s success. The Little Mermaid grossed well over $500 million at the global box office which is a perfectly respectable number on its own, but also a far cry from the over $1 billion that the most successful Disney remakes have achieved.

Whatever the box office result, Rachel Zegler is certainly happy with the final product. In her full Instagram post she talks about how much Snow White means to her, as it was a massive project that took her years to complete. Check out her full comments below.

It, of course, won’t be too long before the next Disney remake the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch arrives in just a couple of months and a Moana remake arrives next year. Rumors have persisted that a Tangled remake is also in development. Depending on how that movie gets cast the new Rapunzel might need a friend like Rachel Zegler and Halle Bailey.

The biggest names in celebrity fashion are always pushing the envelope and trying out new looks that we may have never seen before. The year that just ended provided plenty of that, with Emily Blunt going futuristic with floating shoulders and Sydney Sweeney confounding us all with a black lace floral number. As these stars prepare to delight us with their offerings on the 2025 movie calendar, they’re also upping the ante off-screen, as proven by Halle Bailey. As she showed off her stunning silhouette for New Year’s Eve, I can’t quite figure out how the dress stayed on.

You can’t go wrong with classic black, and Halle Bailey was the very definition of elegance in the long gown she chose to ring in the new year with. The dress looked like it was poured onto her body, as the dark velvet draped in an asymmetrical halter top, which you can see in the images that she shared on Instagram:

The dress is secured at Halle Bailey’s neck, but with nothing on her back to keep things in place — and very little on the front — I have to wonder if she was at risk of a wardrobe malfunction.

Obviously, tape had to be involved to ensure the dress, particularly the left side, stayed where it was supposed to, but with the way the fabric flows, you certainly can’t tell. I’m sure The Color Purple star was well-secured in the dress, but let’s just say I’d still be afraid to leave the house in it. And you can forget jumping or dancing or making any big movements when watching the ball drop.

Hopefully the actress didn’t find herself too restricted in her New Year’s Eve revelry. Halle Bailey paired the dress with several gold bracelets and dangle earrings, with her hair in her signature dreadlocks.

This dress is somewhat reminiscent of one Jennifer Lopez rocked a year ago in celebration of the release of This Is Me… Now (wow, hard to believe that was just last January, with the year JLo had). The “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer’s little black dress also had a fluidity to it that was most assuredly held in place with plenty of tape.

Kim Kardashian has proven that she’s one to watch when it comes to hard-to-define dresses, as she’s been known to rock a thirst trap dress barely held together by tinsel and another gravity-defying look in a barely there top.

Halle Bailey may not always sport mysterious items like her black dress above, but she is always killing it with her looks nonetheless, and 2024 saw some big swimwear moments for the fashionista. In October she sported Halle Berry’s iconic James Bond orange bikini for Halloween, and she totally ate while covering Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” in a black swimsuit.

She definitely started the new year off strong in the fashion department, and I can’t wait to see what looks await us in 2025.

Celebrities went all in on Spooky Season, which culminated with Halloween. Hailey Bieber’s Kim Possible costume screamed “Call me, beep me if you want to reach me,” while Janelle Monáe looked out of this world as E.T. and Elliot. Also, Lupita Nyong’o blew fans away as Storm. As part of the latest costume reveals, Chloe and Halle Bailey joined Mystery Inc. as Daphne and Velma from Scooby Doo!, and they really need to play the characters ASAP.

Music duo Chloe X Halle have done a great glamming it up for past Halloweens. As part of this year’s batch of celebrity Halloween costumes, Chloe Bailey was Jessica Rabbit, slaying it in that sparkly red dress and those purple gloves. Meanwhile, Halle Bailey also brought her fashion talents this year by wearing Halle Berry's conic orange James Bond bikini. But, together, the sister were total standouts by channeling the Mystery Inc. duo, and you can see their fits in the Instagram post below:

As you can see, Chloe and Halle Bailey brought a modern twist to the stars of some of the greatest Saturday Morning cartoons characters. Honestly, they make me wish I had these costumes in my closet. Halle dressed as Daphne, wearing that orange wig and the character’s signature purple dress and green scarf. Chloe, meanwhile, was just as stylish, bringing chicness to the brainy character via her orange turtleneck with an open chest cutout and bright red short skirt. If a new live-action Doo production does happen, I’m advocating for these same vintage/modern twist costumes to be part of their characters’ ensemble.

Daphne and Velma were the ultimate duo in the Scooby Doo TV series and movies. They proved that despite being different from each other, they brought their own contributions towards solving mysteries. I would love to see these two get into the Mystery Machine in a new production. Back in 2018, Velma and Daphne did headline a DTV movie, which was praised for its female empowerment.

The Bailey Sisters have proven many times that they have a bond that rivals the strength of Velma and Daphne's. Chloe Bailey shared a sweet moment with her younger sister on The Little Mermaid red carpet, and Halle returned the favor by praising her older sister’s new music. Halle also credited the “Have Mercy” singer for helping her through her Color Purple role, which required her to portray a genuine sibling relationship.

Following their Halloween fits, I don't see how someone can't at least consider the notion of casting Chloe X Halle as the young sleuths. I really hope Warner Bros. is taking notes, especially since these photos are gaining so much positive buzz on social media.

While you wait for something to possibly come to fruition, keep an eye on the list 2025 movie releases in case Halle and Chloe Bailey end up with projects dated for that schedule. Also, fans can check out the best Scooby-Doo movies.

With O’ Hallows Eve just a day away, the 2024 celebrity Halloween costumes are in full swing! The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey took inspiration from the Hollywood star she always gets mistaken for – name-wise, anyway – Halle Berry. Bailey rocked Berry’s iconic outfit from 2002’s Die Another Day!

Halle Berry has played a lot of famous characters across her career thus far, between X-Men’s Storm or Catwoman, but Halle Bailey decided to pay tribute to the time she was one of the Bond girls. Check it out:

Halle Bailey looks amazing as Jinx from Die Another Day, which was the twentieth 007 film when you look at James Bond movies in order. She captioned the series of photos that just about perfectly copycat the scene as “Halleween 2024”. Halle Berry took notice of the images and posted in the comment section of the Instagram post:

Since the pair have such similar names, these two have interacted before, but it’s always from a place of absolute support. Earlier this year, Halle Berry and Halle Bailey even hung out at the Inter Miami vs LA Galaxy soccer game. It’s so sweet to see Halle Bailey embodying one of Berry’s most famous movie fashion looks for Halloween, and Berry being so honored to see it.

But considering Bailey is known for her long locks, apparently there was some question the photo was an A.I. generated image. The Little Mermaid proved it was just a very good wig with this photo:

Of course a big part of the whole look is Jinx’s pixie cut, and Bailey looks great in the hairstyle. Halle Berry actually spoke about her time on Die Another Day just a couple of months ago. The Oscar winner said Pierce Brosnan restored her “faith in men” when they co-starred together because of how much of a gentleman he was to her. In the 2002 movie, Jinx was an NSA agent whose name is derived from her being born on Friday the 13th. While he is on his mission, their paths cross multiple times, and they ultimately help one another and develop romantic interests for the film.

While talking about Die Another Day, Berry also recently shared that while it wasn’t on a “wish list” of hers to be a Bond girl, she feels like she’s “part of cinematic history” by being part of one of the 007 movies. She’s “honored” to be part of the franchise, “especially with Pierce.” Bailey dressing up as Jinx certainly makes a solid point for it, too!

Halle Bailey looks amazing, and the singer/actress recently welcomed her first child early this year! Happy Halleween! Here’s hoping she keeps the tradition going because there’s so many amazing Halle Berry looks.

As I’m sure most of you are aware, Sabrina Carpenter summer is in full effect, and many can’t get her hits “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please” out of their heads. While Carpenter’s concerts, looks and romance with Barry Keoghan have made headline after headline, overwhelmingly, it’s her catchy tunes that are getting the most attention. Now, Halle Bailey is proving that point as she posted a cover of “Please, Please, Please” that totally “ate.”

Halle Bailey Covered Sabrina Carpenter’s Hit ‘Please, Please, Please’

About two months ago, Sabrina Carpenter dropped “Please, Please, Please” and its music video, which starred Barry Keoghan and her. Like “Espresso” it’s a major earworm, and people have been posting about getting it stuck in their heads, including Halle Bailey, who decided to post this magical cover of it:

This summer, Bailey has been killing the fashion and music game. Along with posting summery pics, like the one of The Little Mermaid star in a golden bikini, she’s also releasing music. Back in March, she dropped her single “In Your Hands,” and she’s been great about promoting her latest project.

Truly, her music, fashion posts and celebration of The Little Mermaid’s first anniversary have all been stunning. However, I can’t get over this cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s song, because it’s perfection.

Fans Can’t Get Enough Of This Incredible Cover

I’m not the only one who was in awe of Halle Bailey’s cover. She and the “Espresso” singer have similar smooth voices, plus, while Bailey has played a princess, there’s a lot of talk that Carpenter should be in the live-action Tangled. Basically, I’m saying they both have the voices of princesses, and, it’s not shocking that she covered the track off Short ‘n Sweet seamlessly.

So, I think it was more than warranted that The Color Purple actress got high praise for her cover, as fans posted replies like:

• The smize at the end. You knew you ate -azollas
• Halle your voice is so magical every time 😭💙 -steffi_whovian
• Siiiiiiiiiing Halle!! Sooooo gorgeous! ❤️ -mackenzie.kuykendoll
• YOU ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD 😍 -iamboramusic
• Absolutely amazing!!!❤️🔥😍 -viragkacziba
• I need the “Halle Bailey Version” of literally every single song 😍 -ten_illustration_101

Also, along with all the fan love, Halle Bailey’s sister and fellow songstress, Chlöe Bailey, commented:

Plus, some of her other famous friends dropped their praise on the post:

• my goodness -Kehlani
• 😍 Chilllllsss -Yara Shahidi

All around, Halle Bailey is getting the love and praise she deserves, because her cover, like Carpenter’s song, is incredible!

Hopefully, someday, we can see the two of them collaborate either on music or in a movie of some sort. In the meantime, we can listen to both versions of “Please, Please, Please” on repeat. Plus, you can see Bailey sing even more by streaming The Little Mermaid with a Disney+ subscription, and you can listen to all of Sabrina Carpenter’s new music on Short ‘n Sweet when it comes out on August 23.

Just like crazy gadgets and classic villains are important to James Bond movies, so-called "Bond girls" have been crucial to the franchise's success. Obviously society has changed quite a bit since Dr. No was released in 1962, and so have the roles these women have played in the adventures. They aren't just a love interest to Bond anymore, though some are, of course, nor do all of them have ridiculous names though some definitely do. Really, it's just all the women who have played important roles,  throughout the years, like the 32 on this list. 

Ursula Andress (Honey Ryder)

The O.G. Bond girl is Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Andress. Bond (Sean Connery) famously meets her as she strolls out of the ocean in a bikini on a small island owned by the titular Dr. No. It's not only one of the most iconic moments of the Bond series, it's one of the most famous in Hollywood history. 

Michelle Yeoh (Wai Lin)

Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh first came to Western cinema acclaim as a Bond girl. After years of success in Hong Kong, Yeoh's Hollywood breakthrough came as Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies, starring Pierce Brosnan as Bond. 

Barbara Bach (Anya Amasova)

Actor Barbara Bach is famous for playing a Bond girl in one of the best Roger Moore movies. Bach, who is the wife of Ringo Starr, played a Russian spy named Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me. Bach was, in fact, the spy who loved Bond. Or Bond was the spy who loved her. Both ways work. The same movie also features one of the best henchmen in Bond history, Jaws. 

Shirley Eaton (Jill Masterson)

The third movie of the Bond franchise, Goldfinger, is pretty almost universally praised as the best of the series. It's certainly the best of the Connery era, despite what some critics claim. Shirley Eaton plays Jill Masterson who meets her demise in one of the most famous scenes in the series when Bond finds her covered in gold paint after her death. 

Tanya Roberts (Stacey Sutton)

Roger Moore's final appearance as James Bond came in 1985's A View To A Kill opposite Tanya Roberts who starred as Stacey Sutton. The late Roberts had a fairly short-lived career in the mid-80s before reviving it as a regular on That '70s Show in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She'll be forever remembered for her moments as a Bond girl. 

Carey Lowell (Pam Bouvier)

Carey Lowell is best known for her two-season run as ADA Jamie Ross on Law & Order in the '90s, but years before that, she was a Bond girl. Lowell played Pam Bouvier, a capable ex-army officer-turned-informant on the cartels Bond is chasing in the Timothy Dalton-as-Bond flick Licence To Kill. 

Teri Hatcher (Paris Carver)

In 1997 Teri Hatcher was coming off an incredibly successful run as Lois Lane in the TV show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. She parlayed that in a role as James Bond's love interest in Tomorrow Never Dies, named Paris Carver. 

Jane Seymour (Solitaire)

In the United States, Jane Seymour is probably best known as Dr. Michaela Quinn in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. About 20 years early, she starred as one of the best Bond girls ever, Solitaire, in the first Roger Moore-era Bond movie, Live and Let Die. 

Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swann)

Léa Seydoux actually starred in two James Bond movies, both featuring Daniel Craig as 007. In both Spectre and No Time To Die, she played Madeleine Swann. She also holds the distinction of being the only actress to play the mother of a James Bond child, which is revealed in the final movie of the Craig era, No Time To Die. 

Halle Berry (Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson)

Before the 21st Century, the producers of the Bond series rarely picked huge stars as Bond girls. That wasn't the case in 2002 when Halle Berry starred as Jinx Johnson in Die Another Day. Berry had just won an Academy Award and was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood when she played Jinx, who was every bit Bond's equal in all ways. 

Maud Adams (Andrea Anders And Octopussy)

Maud Adams is one of two women who have starred in two James Bond movies as Bond girls. Her first, Andrea Anders came in 1974's The Man with the Golden Gun. Her second, and larger role, came as the titular Octopussy in the movie of the same name. Adams also holds the distinction of being the only one to have the same name as the movie. Pretty cool. 

Famke Janssen (Xenia Onatopp)

While she's best known these days for playing Jean Grey/Phoenix in the X-Men movies, Famke Janssen also starred in one Bond movie, GoldenEye, as the ridiculously named assassin Xenia Onatopp. It's one of the sillier names, but the character is all business. 

Diana Rigg (Teresa di Vicenzo/Tracy Bond)

For many Brits, Diana Rigg is known for playing Emma Peel in the '60s spy show The Avengers (no relation to the MCU). For many Americans, she's best known as Olenna Tyrell on Game of Thrones. For Bond fans, she'll always be Tracy Bond, James' first wife, who he married in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the lone film starring George Lazenby as 007. 

Gemma Arterton (Strawberry Fields)

While Quantum of Solace usually ranks pretty low overall among Bond aficionados, Gemma Arterton deserves a lot of praise for his work as Strawberry Fields. While Strawberry Fields is one of the silliest names in the canon, at least it's not an innuendo. 

Daniela Bianchi (Tatiana Romanova)

Daniela Bianchi is an Italian actress who brilliantly played a Soviet spy in From Russia With Love. Tatiana Romanova, the character Bianchi, set the standard for the capable foil to Bond, rather than a damsel in distress as Honey Ryder was in Dr. No.

Maryam D'Abo (Kara Milovy)

Timothy Dalton only got to play Bond in two films, but in one of him, he got to star opposite Maryam D'Abo, who played the classical musician Kara Milovy. The Living Daylights is, like the other Dalton movie, Licence To Kill is underrated, and along with that, D'Abo's excellent performance. 

Kim Basinger (Domino Petachi)

Okay, okay, so Never Say Never Again isn't an official James Bond movie, but it does feature one of the biggest stars to ever play a Bond girl. Kim Basinger was already a big deal when she signed on to join Sean Connery in his return as 007 in the remake of Thunderball. 

Denise Richards (Christmas Jones)

The producers of The World Is Not Enough took a lot of grief for casting Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas Jones. Critics complained that she couldn't be taken seriously as a doctor, or something. It was pure sexism because Richards was fine in the role and fit the mold of a Bond girl perfectly. Her stupid character name wasn't her fault, either. 

Eva Green (Vesper Lynd)

Vesper Lynd is one of two Bond girls who actually married the super spy. Eva Green plays Lynd in Casino Royale and like the other woman who married Bond, Tracy, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Lynd doesn't make it to the end of the movie. She is killed in front of Bond in Venice in one of the most tragic endings to any Bond movie. 

Grace Jones (May Day)

Without question, May Day, played by Grace Jones, in A View To A Kill is one of the most intimidating Bond girls. She's bold and built like a truck. She's a woman of few words, but she can intimidate with nothing more than a look. Grace Jones wasn't in a ton of movies over her unique career, but maybe she should have been more based on this. 

Jill St. John (Tiffany Case)

Jill St. John, who plays Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever has had a long career, going back to the 1950s. In 1971, she starred alongside Sean Connery in his return to the role of 007 and she holds the distinction of being the first American Bond girl. 

Sophie Marceau (Elektra King)

Elektra King, played by Sophie Marceau, is a quintessential Bond girl. She's both Bond's lover and his enemy in The World Is Not Enough. As such, Marceau plays both vulnerable and vicious and the French actress nails both. 

Bérénice Marlohe (Sévérine)

Skyfall is consistently ranked as one of the fans' favorites and that's in no small part to Bérénice Marlohe, who plays Sévérine. Marlohe hasn't starred in many English-language films, in fact, Skyfall was her first, but you'd never know if from the French actor's performance in the Bond universe. 

Mie Hamna (Kissy Suzuki)

Let's be honest, Kissy Suzuki has to be the silliest name ever. It's just ridiculous. That doesn't mean that actress Mie Hamna's performance as the Japanese ninja/spy in You Only Live Twice was silly. The Japanese actress didn't speak much English, but she left an impression on moviegoers, despite her lines being overdubbed. 

Izabella Scorupco (Natalya Simonova)

Natalya Simonova, played by Polish actress Izabella Scorupco, is a stereotypical Bond girl who is a bit of a damsel in distress but turns out to be very capable when teamed with Bond. Scorupco. The multi-talent Scorupco is also a singer and even hosted one season of Sweden's version of Top Model. 

Ana De Armas (Palona)

We couldn't have this list without Ana de Armas, but she doesn't play a typical Bond girl. The character, Palona, is not Bond's lover, nor is she his enemy. She's his equal in many ways, as a green CIA agent sent to help Bond. De Armas is pretty darn awesome in the role, fighting side-by-side with 007. Of course, even before starring here, she was already a pretty big star. 

Carole Bouquet (Melina Havelock)

At the end of The Spy Who Loved Me, the words "James Bond Will Return in For Your Eyes Only, but after the success of Star Wars, the producers of the franchise pivoted and made Moonraker instead to add some sci-fi to the series. Actress Carole Bouquet auditioned to be the Bond girl in that movie but lost out on the part. Luckily, she landed the role of Bond's ally, Melina Havelock, in For Your Eyes Only when it was finally made. 

Lois Chiles (Holly Goodhead)

Moonraker is... not James Bonds' finest hour, but it's not that bad either. One thing that no one can argue, Dr. Holly Goodhead is the dumbest name in the history of the franchise. Sure, there's always been some sophomoric humor to Bond girl names, but actor Lois Chiles has the unfortunate luck of starring as the character with this over-the-top name. 

Claudine Auger (Domino Derval)

French actress and model Claudine Auger played one of the most famous Bond girls in Thunderball. Her sultry performance set a new standard for the archetype. Auger, who played Domino in the movie, wasn't in a lot of movies American audiences would recognize, but she did represent her native France in the Miss World pageant in the 1950s. 

Lana Wood (Plenty O'Toole)

While she's in the running for the silliest name, Plenty O'Toole doesn't have plenty of screen time, lasting only a few minutes before being thrown out of a window of Bond's hotel room in Diamonds Are Forever. She's played by Lana Wood, sister of the late Natalie Wood. 

Britt Ekland (Mary Goodnight)

Britt Ekland, who was once married to Peter Sellers, stars as Mary Goodnight in The Man With The Golden Gun. Let's be honest here, the writers of the movie were not kind to the character as the British agent isn't a very smart or capable spy. That's on the writers, not Ekland. 

Cassandra Harris (Countess Lisl von Schlaf)

Australian actress Cassandra Harris had an interesting and tragic life. When she starred as Lisl von Schlaf in For Your Eyes Only, he husband in real life was none other than Pierce Brosnan. How's that for meta? Sadly, Harris died of ovarian cancer at just age 43 in 1991. Her mother AND her daughter both died of the same disease in their 40s as well. 

When Halle Bailey made history starring in The Little Mermaid, she described the role on its one-year anniversary as having “changed my life.” Not too long after, another life-changing milestone came to her in the form of her first baby Halo. After welcoming her first child, the actress/singer shared some postpartum advice for new moms that’s very empowering.

At the beginning of the year, Halle Bailey confirmed after months of rumors that she was a new mother. Those underwater pregnancy pics of her show that her Little Mermaid days haven’t totally escaped from the talented actress, and we've loved getting updates about her kiddo and her career. On the red carpet of the 2024 ESPY Awards, she shared with ET some postpartum advice on how to embrace this new chapter:

This is really sound advice as many women experience postpartum depression. In fact, statistics provided by postpartumdepression.org say that approximately 1 in 10 women develop this condition after giving birth. Hopefully, Halle Bailey’s advice to remember your worth and to keep going after what you want can help new mothers reflect on how great they are and embrace these new changes.

Halle Bailey truly has a lot going for her. Other than her breakthrough big-screen role in The Little Mermaid, she played Young Nettie in the Oscar-nominated musical The Color Purple, and she released two singles this past year. With being a mother now added to her many life roles, the 24-year-old star appears to be very happy about her life right now:

Hollywood expectations of new mothers tend to be that women are expected to “bounce back” with their careers after giving birth. Fortunately, Halle Bailey told ET that no one gave her any undue pressure:

It's great news that Halle Bailey had a lot of support around her during this time. After being a new mother, taking everything one day at a time is more sensible compared to the rush of “bouncing back.”

It appears that the Grown-ish actress is doing just fine getting back to the swing of things too after wrapping up her new movie Atlantis three months after giving birth. She’s also taken the time to show off sweet golden summer bikini pics that show her pregnancy weight has come off and she's still glowing.

After giving birth to her son Halo, Halle Bailey gave smart postpartum advice to new mothers about the importance of chasing after their dreams and recognizing what makes them “special.” She clearly followed her own advice looking so happy and fully embracing her new role as a mother. Take a look at our 2024 movie releases so you’re in the loop of Bailey’s upcoming projects.

May marked the first anniversary of The Little Mermaid and Halle Bailey playing the life-changing role of Ariel. While the American singer/actress is living her best life right now taking on new film roles, making music, and being a mother, she's still giving some mermaid energy. This is because, to celebrate summer, she traded her green mermaid fin for a gold bikini in sweet fun-in-the-sun pics.

While we've come to associate Halle Bailey with Ariel's signature purple bikini top and green fin, this summer she traded it in for a stunning gold look. However, she's still serving iconic mermaid energy in this post, and you can see why by taking a look at the sweet summer Instagram pics below:

Referencing Jill Scott’s “living my life like it’s golden” in her caption, Halle Bailey is truly soaking up the sun sitting by her pool wearing a gold bikini. Serving up beach goals with her drawstring gold top and matching bottoms, this look could totally fit in with Ariel and her sisters' legendary fits.

Also, this look just adds to the catalog of seriously legendary fits Bailey has worn in the months since giving birth to Baby Halo. From red carpet glam to more beachy fits, she's been serving on every occasion, including this one.

It may have been a while since Halle Bailey did some crazy stunt work for the live-action Little Mermaid in a harness or a water tank, but, it doesn’t mean that she’s shed her mermaid self just yet. We weren’t blind to the fact that the “Angel” singer made Little Mermaid references to her underwater pregnancy pics, and there's no denying the mermaid energy radiating off this latest post.

The Grown-ish actress also channeled Ariel by proving what a fashion princess she is in real life with many of her Ariel-inspired looks. Before Margot Robbie was rocking Barbiecore for the Barbie press tour, Bailey brought the sea to fans and photographers with her Mermaidcore looks at numerous Little Mermaid premieres and events (including The Oscars). Whether it was in the form of a metallic mermaid gown at the world premiere or a sparkly seashell dress at the London premiere, the Grammy Award nominee is boss at being a photogenic fashionista.

Halle Bailey’s "living my best life like it's golden" by posting sweet summer pics of herself in a gorgeous gold bikini. As her historic starring role in The Little Mermaid will never escape the mind of audiences, it doesn’t look like The Color Purple actress will forget either. And we love that for everyone!

Watch Halle Bailey sing and flow under the sea with her green fin in The Little Mermaid with a Disney+ subscription. Make sure to look into our 2024 movie releases to catch Bailey’s upcoming film roles.

When it comes to celebrity fashion, I am all in on the black bikini summer that Kylie Jenner brought back and the dramatic silhouettes that come from structured dresses or laced-up corsets. But there’s another trend that’s caught my eye lately that shouldn’t be ignored, and that’s the sleek leather look. Halle Bailey was absolute perfection in a recent social media post that showed off a gown that shined so much it appeared she might still be under the sea.

Halle Bailey, who starred in The Little Mermaid and The Color Purple in 2023, was nominated for Best Actress and the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award at the 2024 BET Awards, and she may not have taken home the trophies, but she was unquestionably a winner on the red carpet, showing off a slim figure in her glossy, halter-style dress from Avellano. She shared pictures of the look on Instagram:

Looking at the pics, it is unreal to think that she gave birth to a son not all that long ago, and after showing off her abs in celebration of her new movie Atlantis wrapping, she continued to drop jaws with this number at the BET Awards. The sleeveless gown shined all the way down to the floor, making her look almost like a mermaid with its skin-tight fit and train that pooled beyond her like a tail. Her hair was styled in tight curls that cascaded down her back

Halle Bailey has made quite a name for herself in fashion with the options she’s been choosing for her events. After “giving serves” in a JLo-reminiscent green dress at the People’s Choice Awards, she showed off another halterneck in a Barbiecore gown at the Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards.

The actress can certainly pull off color, but as proven above, she dominates in glossy black as well. The shiny leather look has been popular among celebrities lately, as Daisy Ridley gave herself over to the Dark Side at her new movie premiere, similar to Sydney Sweeney’s bombshell outfit at a Variety event last year.

To no one’s surprise, the Kardashian-Jenner family also has sported the trend, with Kylie Jenner frollicking in her version of the faux leather halter top and older sister Kim Kardashian going futuristic (or just plain confusing) in an ad for SKIMS faux leather bikini. Even Argylle star Bryce Dallas Howard shimmied in black leather when doing press for the spy action-comedy.

I am certain that black leather (or faux leather) is not as easy to pull off as Halle Bailey and the other celebrities above make it look. I wouldn’t ever consider trying it for myself. However, anyone who can look as drippingly gorgeous in the sleek black material should probably do so at every opportunity.

There’s no release date yet for Halle Bailey’s upcoming movie Atlantis, so we might see that as part of the 2025 movie calendar. In the meantime, though, check out what's coming to theaters through the end of 2024.

Last summer, Halle Bailey officially became a live-action Disney Princess when she starred in The Little Mermaid, and at the beginning of this year the singer/actress announced she was a first-time mother! Bailey and rapper DDG welcomed their baby, Halo, but that doesn’t mean Bailey is hanging up her blooming acting career. She just wrapped her latest movie, and she’s flaunting an incredible post-partum body while she’s at it. 

Halle Bailey just wrapped her work on Universal’s upcoming movie musical, Atlantis. Check out her Instagram post marking the accomplishment: 

Bailey took to social media to thank Atlantis director Michael Gondry, who memorably helmed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for allowing her to be part of Atlantis. No, it’s not a live-action remake of the Disney movie we’ve been hoping for. It’s a musical based on Pharrel Williams’ childhood in Virginia Beach. It also stars Janelle Monáe, Brian Tyree Henry, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Quinta Brunson, Tim Meadows, Anderson .Paak and Missy Elliott. 

As Halle Bailey wrote in the post, she has a lot of gratitude for the production for “lifting” her up just three months after having her baby. The singer said she’s feeling really “strong” following her work on the production and is hyped for audiences to see her next role. 

Going back to work after having a child is no easy feat, and yet tons of mothers do it gracefully all the time. After women give birth, their body goes through tons of physical and emotional changes, but you wouldn’t know it from Halle Bailey’s social media post. She’s out here rocking abs just months after having Halo. That’s definitely something to be very proud of, and surely took some hard work on her part, so I totally get why she went for a cropped top to celebrate the occasion!!

The 24-year-old decided to keep her pregnancy underwraps in 2023 while promoting her two big movies last year, The Little Mermaid and The Color Purple, but once she made the announcement, she received a lot of warm congratulations from other big stars. When she was accused of “lying” on social media about the life milestone while she was expecting, she shared that she decided to protect her “own peace” by not publicizing it. Since the actress’ baby has entered the world, healthy and happy, she has not shied away from pics, including some gorgeous underwater pregnancy pics. 

Atlantis is currently Halle Bailey’s only upcoming movie following the controversial release of The Little Mermaid movie. The singer is also gearing up to release her debut studio album! I can’t wait to see what else Bailey does with future projects, but I also need to know her secret to postpartum abs, stat! 

Renowned animator John Musker, the genius behind numerous classics that ushered in the Disney renaissance, such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules, is outspoken about his thoughts on Disney's current direction. The Treasure Planet helmer is upfront about what he believes are the less successful aspects of Disney’s recent live-action reimaginings. He also shared his opinions on what adjustments Disney needs to make, particularly concerning their schedule of upcoming live-action remakes.

John Musker teamed up with director Ron Clements on numerous Disney animated classics throughout the late '80s through the mid-2000s, including The Princess and the Frog (2009).  

Speaking at the Animayo International Summit in Gran Canaria, Spain, John was candid in his conversation with the Spanish publication EL PAÍS. The 70-year-old veteran animator opened up about his 2009 return to Disney and what the team was trying to do, noting they weren't "trying to be woke." He elaborated:

The Great Mouse Detective writer emphasized the importance of character-driven narratives, stressing that the House of Mouse’s magic has always been rooted in its ability to create compelling and relatable characters. He believes that while it is essential to include progressive themes, these should not overshadow the essence of storytelling. He believes a "course correction" really needs to be made by the company. 

According to John, Disney's recent focus on messages can sometimes detract from the engaging, emotional journeys defining its best works. He used the choices The Little Mermaid live action remake ultimately made to highlight what he feels that movie was missing compared to the original (which he did co-direct). 

The longtime animator has a particular grievance with the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, specifically its less expressive animal characters. This criticism is understandable, given how personal the original film is to him. Remarkably, the 1989 adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale almost didn't happen, so it's no surprise that Musker feels protective of the story.

In a later part of the interview, the animation veteran shared an unexpected inspiration behind the original film’s second act–an action movie box office hit. He revealed that then-president of Disney, Jeffrey Katzenberg, had a surprising request: 

The former Disney director's criticisms extend beyond live-action animation. Musker believes the company suffers from having too many cooks in the kitchen regarding their projects. Reflecting on his experiences, he said:

Despite these challenges, according to Nielsen's numbers, Moana has proven to be one of the most popular films on streaming platforms. It's widely regarded as a modern-day classic, with a sequel and a live-action remake on the horizon.

The conversation around Disney’s live-action adaptations continues to evolve, and John Musker’s insights provide food for thought. As Disney moves forward, it faces the challenge of honoring its rich legacy while embracing new opportunities, ensuring that the magic of its storytelling continues to captivate audiences of all ages.

With a Disney+ subscription, you can watch all the classics from the company's animation renaissance, the best of Disney's beloved catalog, and the latest live-action re-imaginings.

Grown-ish actress Halle Bailey earned the life-changing role of Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. With her acting and singing talents recognized by a large audience, playing the free-spirited mermaid garnered her nominations for a Saturn Award and a People’s Choice Award. As it’s been one year since the beloved Disney classic remake swam into theaters, Bailey had a lovely way of celebrating the momentous occasion.

The Little Mermaid found its lead in Halle Bailey who was known for being one half of the musical duo Chloe x Halle and starring in the Freeform sitcom Grown-ish. Disney clearly saw the music and acting chops of this fresh-faced star. The Disney remake was "Part of Your World" at the Dolby Theatre on May 8th of last year, and Bailey made sure to let Instagram users know it in her carousel of Little Mermaid images below:

I’m in agreement with a lot of internet users who can’t believe it’s been a year since The Little Mermaid made its way into theaters. It seems like only yesterday the under-the-sea film scored its way to the top of the weekend box office. The American singer/actress posted some of the most colorful promotional pics from the Disney film. You can really see Halle Bailey’s amazing six-figure red hair shine through strongly in each photo. We also see her revisiting the beach area where Ariel rescued Prince Eric as she holds a picture of where the iconic moment happened.

The final photo had the “Angel” singer have her best-selling Ariel dolls strike a pose in various forms of mermaid attire and in her human form. I’m sure once her son Halo is old enough, she can tell him all about the fond memories she has of playing the first live-action version of Disney's favorite mermaid.

When the Rob Marshall-helmed film first screened, some called it one of the best live-action Disney remakes, with Halle Bailey’s performance being a real standout. Critics were also praising Bailey in her star-making performance, even if reviews were mixed on the changed lyrics of two beloved songs. Just like Marshall said, one thing that the live-action version delivered better than the animated feature was the emotional scale of how mermaids suffer plenty even if they can’t show tears, and the scope of Ariel and Eric’s star-crossed romance.

Another benefit that came from the big family-friendly summer flick was having a Disney character young Black girls could see themselves in. We saw the delight in their eyes after videos showed young Black girls in awe of Halle Bailey’s Ariel feeling they saw themselves represented in the underwater character. With the Screen Actors Guild nominee making history as the first Black actress to play Ariel, that comes with being an inspiration to more kids than ever before.

On the one-year anniversary of 2023’s The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey shared her joy of the life-changing role by posting memorable photos of the musical fantasy film. You can share in the underwater fun by watching the high-grossing remake with your Disney+ subscription.

Beauty shone brightly on the red carpet of the 17th Annual Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards. Talented Black A-listers were recognized for their talent and incredible gorgeous fashion ensembles while attending this year’s ceremony. While Barbiecore might be in because of Margot Robbie, Halle Bailey was pretty in pink channeling her inner Barbie at the event and Teyonah Parris went full Little Mermaid in her sparkling dress.

Ever since Barbie became the global phenomenon of 2023, celebs helped make pink the color of that year. Halle Bailey didn’t step away from the trend at this year’s Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards wearing a two-tone pink halterneck gown that would make you think she was a resident of Barbieland. Take a look for yourself at the piercing pink gown below:

As you can see, The Little Mermaid actress wore a dual-toned pink and peach gown with a cross-fronted neckline. With a cinched waist, torso cutout, and a flowing skirt down to the floor, the young actress truly looked like a princess. Held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Bailey was honored along with The Color Purple’s Danielle Brooks, executive television producer Kathryn Busby, and All American’s executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll. 

Halle Bailey indeed had a fantastic year in 2023. She was cast as Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake The Little Mermaid. While the Grown-ish actress faced backlash for the role not going to a fair-skinned redhead as seen in the 1989 Disney classic, she handled the negativity like a champ. She decided instead to focus on her excitement to play such an important role in the realm of Disney. 

While Halle Bailey didn’t wear her usual Ariel-inspired looks for the 17th annual event, another A-lister decided to go full-on Little Mermaid with her dazzling ensemble. Teyonah Parris, who helped bring Black representation to the MCU playing Monica Rambeau in The Marvels, wore an eye-piercing dress at the event that made her look like she’s BFFs with Ariel. See for yourself below:

Teyonah Parris’ form-fitted dress has a sandy color that would blend in well with the beach topped with shimmering gold shells as it flows to the floor. The WandaVision actress accessorized with gold-bangle bracelets on one wrist and a round gold ring on the other hand. Based on her Instagram post, it looks like this beach-themed dress came from her forthcoming fashion line, Blum by Teyonah. At the event, Parris honored her friend, Danielle Brooks, who was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for The Color Purple for the 96th Oscar nominees.

With Halle Bailey channeling Barbiecore and Teyonah Parris going all Little Mermaid at the Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards, “method dressing” truly is a trend in bringing out styles from successful movies this past year. Make sure to look at our 2024 movie releases so you’ll know when these talented ladies appear on the big screen next.

Halle Berry and Halle Bailey are quite the dynamic duo. Other than their first names and initials (which has led to confusion among fans), other things these two stars have in common are being powerhouses on the big screen and their shared love for each other. While we’ve seen the two Halles communicate on social media, the pair have actually hung out and posted adorable photos of their sweet outing.

These same-initialed actresses truly are quite the pair we didn’t know we needed. Halle Berry posted Instagram photos of her and Bailey attending the Inter Miami vs LA Galaxy soccer game. Take a look at the adorable photos of the pair below:

The two Halles looked beautiful attending the MLS game together. My favorite photo is the one when the pair hugged each other in a loving embrace. Among the many social media users who commented how much they wanted this moment to happen was The Little Mermaid star herself who said something very sweet to the X-Men actress.

Isn’t that the sweetest thing? Another comment that caught my attention was when a social media user requested that the two actresses star in a movie together. That would be the best. With the love the two show in these photos, I think Berry and Bailey would make an excellent mother/daughter duo in a movie. Plus, you can’t argue that the two beautiful women have a resemblance to each other that would make looking related believable. For now, all we can do is dream.

Halle Berry has been a big supporter of Halle Bailey’s career. You can actually thank The Little Mermaid for the start of their friendship. Originally, people thought the Bruised actress was playing Ariel in the Disney remake due to how similar her name is to Bailey. After Berry congratulated Bailey on the honor of taking on the Disney film lead, the Grown-ish actress responded that it meant “the world” to her to hear from the Oscar winner. Once The Little Mermaid opened in theaters, the Monster’s Ball actress shared two posts of how proud she was of her. The support didn’t stop there. When Bailey shared her first look at her baby Halo, Berry commented big welcomes to the 23-year-old’s new baby and to the new mama herself entering the new world of motherhood. 

The Golden Globe actress was an inspiration to Halle Bailey since before she was born. After all, the story of how Bailey got her name was because her parents are big fans of Halle Berry. They initially wanted their daughter’s name to be Hailey. While Hailey Bailey would certainly be a catchy name, there’d be a lot of rhyming going on. So, it was decided on Halle in which the American actress and singer said “There’s no one else I’d rather have a similar name to than her.” The Chloe x Halle performer also channeled Berry one Halloween dressing up as an OG Catwoman looking feisty as ever. If these two could star in a movie together, we could see that working chemistry light up the big screen.

Halle Bailey and Halle Berry looked incredible together attending the Inter Miami vs LA Galaxy soccer game. Hopefully, that dream will come when the two can work on a project together. Until then, you can look at our 2024 movie releases to follow the careers of both of these talented ladies. 

The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey was among the stars who hit the town for the 2024 People's Choice Awards, and her dress still has people talking. Not only did it channel Ariel, but the cut and style reminded me of nothing as much as Jennifer Lopez's infamous green dress with the very deep V. The consensus among fans seems to be that Bailey was stunning at the PCAs... or, to quote one person, "giving serves."

Halle Bailey, who confirmed the birth of her son Halo less than a month before the People's Choice Awards, chose a Robert Cavalli gown from the 2003 collection (via People), and I can't imagine a more perfect dress for the woman who brought The Little Mermaid into live action. Take a look:

Considering that Bailey was in the running for Female Movie Star of 2023 at the PCAs for her role in The Little Mermaid, it's only fitting that she chose some under-the-sea emojis to go along with the photos of her in her dress. The color scheme with blues and greens along with the cut of the gown are about as close as anybody could get to looking like a mermaid in formalwear... on dry land, anyway! The actress shared some underwater pregnancy pics.

And there was no shortage of compliments in the comment section of Halle Bailey's Instagram post, including sister Chloe Bailey (who the Color Purple actress credited for helping her with that role) writing "my stunning sister 😍." Other comments were full of praise as well:

• naza._cara: "okay little mermaid, serve as alwayss"
• ashleynicolewilliams: "she's a HOT MOMMA!!!"
• hwilki: "Mermaid princess forever 😍"
• tahidyarreguin: "Another day another slaaaay😍"
• nastasya_generalova: "Absolutely stunning Halle ❤"

Those are only a handful of the glowing compliments, with another commenting adding that Halle Bailey could "definitely play" Janet Jackson in a movie after seeing this dress on her. Of course, I may not be the only one whose mind jumped to a different music superstar upon seeing the colorful, v-neck dress with a unique print and cut. Just take a look at the iconic (and infamous) green gown worn by JLo back in 2000, and see the similarities:

The two dresses definitely aren't identical, as Jennifer Lopez's V plunges a lot deeper than Halle Bailey's, and the print on the green dress recalls nature rather than the undersea adventures of a mermaid. Still, I was flashing back to that green dress, which Lopez herself reflected on more than twenty years after debuting it at the Grammys in 2000. It's also not the only example of JLo in a stunning green gown, although certainly the most famous.

Honestly, I just wish that Jennifer Lopez had been present at the People's Choice Awards to pose in a pic with Halle Bailey. The Little Mermaid was in the running for Movie of the Year, Female Movie Star of 2023 for Bailey as Ariel, and Movie Performance of the Year for Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. The live-action film lost in each category to Barbie, but I would say that Bailey deserves a trophy for winning in fashion at the PCAs.

Near the end of 2023, singer and actress Halle Bailey made headlines when it was reported that she was expecting her first child with boyfriend DDG. The star herself didn’t respond to the chatter, though the rumor mill continued to chun. It wasn’t until earlier in January that Bailey finally confirmed that she’d given birth to a baby boy named Halo. Since the announcement was made, many have offered their congratulations to her and her partner. It would seem that at least one person takes issue with how everything has played out, as they say the lead of the Little Mermaid cast “lied” about her pregnancy. Now, Bailey has addressed that claim with some thoughts of her own. 

A user on X took to the platform to respond to a since-deleted comment that was shared by another commenter. The person opined that the public isn’t “mad” that the Grammy nominee decided not to disclose her pregnancy. Instead, they believe fans are more “annoyed” that the entertainer supposedly went to great lengths to “lie” about the situation. The person’s message can be read in its entirety below as follows: 

Halle Bailey – who’s proven to be quite active on social media – eventually reshared the post on X after catching wind of it. When responding, she proceeded to shut down the assumption that she ever “lied” about what was going on. Bailey then proceeded to explain why she handled the matter in the way that she did: 

That seems to be a fairly direct answer from the “Angel” singer. Based on her comments, she wanted to keep her pregnancy private until she was ready to open up about it. Such a feat can be difficult when one is in the public eye like she is. At the end of the day though, only she and those closest to her knew when the time would be right for her to drop the announcement – and share those underwater pregnancy photos.

In the past, Halle Bailey has clapped back at fans on social media on occasion. Months ago, she responded to someone who declared that she’d lost her way when it comes to making music. They specifically believed that she and sister Chloe don’t show off their abilities as musicians much anymore, leading Halle to say that they still play and that their skills would be on display soon. Needless to say, she certainly doesn’t mince words. 

The haters only seem to be a drop in the ocean compared to the many who have and continue to support her even now that she’s a new mom. 2023 was a massive year for her, as she not only welcomed her baby boy but also headlined the aforementioned live-action Disney movie remake. She also played a supporting role in The Color Purple, which has been critically acclaimed. All in all, it doesn’t seem like she’s letting the negativity phase her as she simply lives her life.

The Color Purple is now playing in theaters, while The Little Mermaid is currently available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

Actress and recording artist Halle Bailey has a killer career, and became a household name thanks to playing Ariel in the live-action Little Mermaid remake. On top of her thriving career, she's also had some exciting personal developments, revealing earlier in January that Bailey became a mother. Bailey went full mermaid for her pregnancy pictures, with even her saying that was "obviously" the move. Typical Ariel.

While she's obviously a public figure, Halle Bailey kept her pregnancy under wraps until after she gave birth. Following this news, she posted a video on Instagram, which shows her looking ethereal underwater, complete with a flowing outfit and her pregnant belly. Check it out below:

I mean, how gorgeous is that? This video likely would have broken the internet if she revealed she was pregnant in this very artsy video. In the end she kept that private, although this clip is the cherry on top of an exciting personal time for Bailey. 

Halle Bailey shared the above clip to her 8 million followers on Instagram. She started off the caption with a mermaid emoji, one that is no doubt very often used by her throughout the last year or so. She reminisced about carrying her baby, revealing she misses her pregnant belly. 

The comments section are filled with folks who are praising the 23 year-old multihyphenate for only sharing this part of her persona life when she was ready. This stands in juxtaposition to the backlash that Bailey originally faced for taking on the role of Ariel. In a time where so many public figures share everything with the world, Bailey kept her pregnancy news to herself until after giving birth. And she also led the Little Mermaid cast with grace despite online trolling

When thinking about the best part of every live-action Disney movie, one has to go to  Halle Bailey's gorgeous rendition of "Part of Your World" and endlessly charismatic performance as Ariel. Her performance was universally acclaimed, and it turns out she was already growing her family when the movie was released in May of 2023. 

It's definitely an exciting time for Bailey, both professionally and personally. On top of The Little Mermaid, she's also in the cast of The Color Purple, playing a younger version of Celie's sister Nettie. And shortly after that movie was released for the holidays, Bailey ended up giving birth to her child. 

After the last year, it seems like Halle Bailey's career could go seemingly anywhere. On top of her thriving music career, her acclaimed performances in both The Little Mermaid and The Color Purple have made her into a bonafide movie star. And hopefully we see her back on the big screen sooner rather than later. 

The Little Mermaid is streaming now with a Disney+ subscription. Be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

2023 was a massive year for Halle Bailey, as the longtime singer further carved out her place in Hollywood as an established actor. Amid the buzz she received for her work, the star was at the center of rumors regarding her personal life during the final months of the year. It was widely speculated that Bailey was expecting her first child with boyfriend DDG, yet neither would confirm it. Now, the star of the box office hit Little Mermaid has revealed that she’s welcomed a baby boy named Halo and shared the news to social media. With that, Halle Berry, Rachel Zegler and more A-listers reached out. 

The 24-year-old new mom took to Instagram to announce the birth of her son, who she confirms was born last year. While she didn’t provide a full look at the child, she did show his tiny arm and the bracelet he had around his wrist, which was adorned with his name. She also said in her sweet caption that Halo’s birth is “the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me." You can check out the post for yourself below: 

Chatter surrounding the Chloe x Halle alum’s possible pregnancy began around last fall, during which paparazzi photos seemed to suggest that she was with child. The rumors were arguably amplified when the songstress began appearing at public events in larger clothing. One such occasion was the Glamour Women of The Year Awards in October. The photo below shows the Grown-ish star and DDG – whose real name is Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr. –  at the celebration:

One gets the impression that the two simply wanted to reveal the news in their own time. DDG, a 26-year-old rapper and YouTuber, commented on his lady’s post, referring to her as “super mom.” While the post itself is sweet on its own, what was really special was the sheer number of stars that reached out to send their congratulations. Halle Berry and Rachel Zegler led the charge, with others like Kylie Jenner and Lala joining the chorus as well. You can check out responses:

• Congratulations, Halle. Welcome to motherhood, and welcome to the world baby Halo❤️ - Halle Berry
• Welcome, baby halo!!!!! And congratulations, beautiful mama 🫶🏼 - Rachel Zegler
• 👼🫶🫶🫶 - Kylie Jenner
• 🤍❤️🤍❤️ Welcome, Halo! - Yara Shahidi
• Welcome. Halo❤️ CONGRATULATIONS on your beautiful blessing 🙏🏽❤️ - Lala
• Congrats, beauty! Welcome to motherhood. ❤️ - Tia Mowry
• Halo 🥹🥹🥹🤧 Congratulations. - Storm Reid

It goes without saying that the Last Holiday alum has made a number of major friends since she entered the industry. She and Rachel Zegler have also become particularly close, given they both share the distinction of playing live-action Disney princesses. Zegler admitted to being “inspired” by her friend and fellow actor after she proved the haters wrong when portraying Ariel. Also sharing a sense of kinship with the actress/singer is Halle Berry, who shared a sweet response after the new mom previously revealed how she was named after her.

The past 12 months have been absolutely massive for Halle Bailey. Last May, The Little Mermaid quickly swam to the top of the box office during its opening weekend and received mostly positive reviews. She also capped off her year with her appearance in the praised remake of The Color Purple, in which she plays the young iteration of Nettie Harris. 

It’s been apparent that she’s grateful for all of the success she was able to achieve in the past year. However, based on her post, it sounds like she’s most thankful to have been able to bring a new life into the world. It seems evident that baby Halo is greatly loved – both by his parents and by those who are fans and friends of his mother.

We here at CinemaBlend wish Halle Bailey and DDG the best as they embark on this new journey as parents! You can also check out Bailey in The Color Purple, which is playing in theaters now, while The Little Mermaid is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

Just months after Halle Bailey became a Disney Princess with the debut of her live-action remake of The Little Mermaid among the summer’s 2023 new movie releases, the rising star is back for another movie musical with The Color Purple. The talented actress/singer has a couple personal reasons why the Christmas release felt like the right next role for her. 

During The Color Purple’s press conference, which CinemaBlend was in virtual attendance for, Halle Bailey opened up about when she was approached for the part of young Nettie and why the audition made her feel “closer to God.” In Bailey’s words: 

Halle Bailey spoke about the beginnings of her role in The Color Purple one day after going full Disney Princess at the movie’s purple carpet premiere in a gorgeous red ball gown. The role came to her while she was in the middle of making The Little Mermaid, and as a spiritual person, she felt lifted by her self-tape involving her singing a gospel song. Bailey also spoke to how the movie’s core sister relationship spoke to her as well. In her words: 

Halle Bailey has not been shy about her close relationship with her older sister, Chlöe Bailey, who are so tight knit that they even often get mistaken for each other. The sisters got their start as the duo act Chloe x Halle, which they started on YouTube before Beyoncé discovered them and signed them to her management company in 2015. 

When Bailey played Nettie, she took inspiration from her sister in a lot of ways. The Color Purple is about two sisters, Celie and Nettie, who are driven away from each other at a young age. The story then focuses on Celie as she’s forced to marry a man named Mister, and the audience goes on a journey with her throughout her life. 

In the short time that Halle Bailey has been a star, she’s dealt with public backlash regarding her The Little Mermaid casting and proving the haters wrong when it comes to her abilities to knock it out of the park as Princess Ariel. As she spoke to, she’s still new to the world of movies, with The Color Purple being her second major film role, which can be an overwhelming place to be. Bailey felt comfortable with The Color Purple and she’s ultimately so grateful for the experience. 

The Color Purple is now in theaters. You can check out what people think about the movie before you see it on the big screen. 

As 2023 draws to a close, Halle Bailey was back on the red carpet this week for the Los Angeles premiere of the new musical adaptation of The Color Purple, and her latest look was breathtaking. The actress/singer is coming off a highlight year that had her leading the live-action The Little Mermaid cast and inspiring tons of Ariel-esque gowns. But, this week’s premiere shows that when it comes to her style once a Disney princess, always a Disney princess. 

Before Halle Bailey stepped out on the purple carpet of The Color Purple premiere at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, California, she took these glam shots of her look. It’s giving Disney Princess! Take a look: 

Bailey showed off a custom dress from Off-White in a bold red, cross-halter top with ruffles for days. The actress donned matching red lips, silver and red jewelry as accents and her signature long locks streaming down her back. Halle Bailey called the premiere night “a dream” before sharing her gratitude for playing Nettie in one of the last of 2023's new movie releases. She said she “truly felt like a princess,” and it shows! 

Halle Bailey found the right occasion to roll out a regal look considering she is one of the stars of the Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg-produced reimagining of The Color Purple also starring the likes of Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R. and many more. It’s not only one of this year’s upcoming book adaptations, based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, but it also brings to life the musical version from Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. 

Bailey plays the key role of young Nettie, who is the sister of the lead Celie. The sisters are African-American girls living in rural Georgia in the early 1900s. As the sisters are separated, The Color Purple tells Celie’s seminal storyline that discusses the power of strong female relationships along with racism, sexism and abuse the lead and others around her face during a distinctly troubling era for Black people. 

Following its premiere, The Color Purple received a lot of early positive praise from its first audience, which was described as “perfection,” “joyous & emotionally powerful” and a movie that has “cannonballed” into the Oscars race. Current predictions on Gold Derby have the movie in contention for Best Picture along with both Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson high on the list for the Best Supporting Actress category. 

The Color Purple will go head-to-head with Michael Mann’s Ferrari and George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat, when all three films are released on Christmas Day. This holiday season, Wonka is also coming out next week and the weekend before Christmas will see Aquaman 2, Anyone But You, The Iron Claw, American Fiction and Migration hit theaters. So, it's a great time to go to the movies and see wonderful performances like Halle Bailey's.

Rachel Zegler and Halle Bailey's roads to Disney stardom have been less than a fairytale. The young actresses—who portray The Little Mermaid and Snow White in their respective titular live-action films (though the latter will not hit theaters until 2025)—made history when they were cast as two of the House of Mouse's most iconic princesses,. However, their boundary-breaking castings have also sparked criticism and backlash among Disney die-hards. 

Though many Disney fans rejoiced at the racial diversity of a "Black Ariel" and Zegler's casting as the first Latina actress to play a live-action Disney princess, others balked at the fact that the performers didn't look exactly like the characters they knew from the original animated films. Bailey and Zegler bonded over their casting controversies during their discussion for Variety's Actors on Actors series, with the latter revealing that she was "so inspired" by how Bailey proved "any naysayer out there" wrong: 

Zegler also praised how Bailey navigated all of that negativity about her Ariel casting and how she didn't let it publicly affect her during promotion for the film, saying:

However, Halle Bailey admitted that reading about the backlash and boycotts online did anger her behind the scenes ("I'm an Aries!" she joked) and reminded people that though she's a famous actress, she's still a "real human being that has feelings and reacts to things." As the Ariel actress put it:

Despite her frustrations and how hard it is "being women under the spotlight," Bailey chose not to respond to the online trolls, instead opting for a more "graceful" reaction:

It's not the first time we've seen the two actresses publicly support each other in the midst of controversy. Back in September 2022, Zegler responded on Twitter to a hate comment about Bailey, writing: “If you don’t support my girl halle, who is the perfect ariel, you don’t support any of us.” Similarly, in July of last year, Bailey hyped up her fellow Disney star on Twitter, commenting on Zegler's post: "We love you so much, truly the perfect princess." 

With The Littler Mermaid being one of the most high-profile titles on the 2023 movie schedule, you can currently see Halle Bailey as Ariel by streaming the movie with a Disney+ subscription. Rachel Zegler's Snow White will hit theaters on March 21, 2025.

The Color Purple is a powerful story of a Southern Black woman in the early 1900s, originally adapted from Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book for a 1985 movie. That phenomenon garnered 11 Academy Award nominations, featured one of Whoopi Goldberg’s best performances (alongside Oprah Winfrey in a career-defining role, no less), and inspired a stage production that would earn just as many Tony Award nods and one win. So it’s no small feat what Fantasia Barrino and the rest of the cast of the 2023 remake of The Color Purple are doing. The upcoming film from director Blitz Bazawule has screened, and critics are hitting social media with their first reactions.

The phenomenal cast features a number of Broadway veterans, including Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks, who have portrayed Celie and Sofia, respectively, on the stage. There’s no shortage of talent, with The Color Purple also starring Taraji P. Henson, Corey Hawkins from the In the Heights film adaptation and — following her turn as Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid — Halle Bailey in another iconic role. Anticipation is high for this movie ahead of its late-year release, and Jazz Tangcay of Variety writes that the actors deliver: 

Valerie Complex, meanwhile, is just one of many X users who are predicting Oscars love for multiple members of the cast, writing: 

Atom posts that Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks are on another level talent-wise in “one of the best ensembles ever united.” Its December 25 release is a gift indeed, the review site writes, calling the remake: 

As a fan of the original movie, Rama’s Screen writes that the new rendition holds up with great music and divine performances. In the critic’s words: 

More high praise is coming from CineMovie on social media, as they say The Color Purple is the best movie of the year and the best musical ever, “hands down.” Get ready to have a spiritual experience, they say, writing: 

Steven Spielberg’s 1985 movie is unquestionably a classic, and it’s apparently hard for Guy at the Movies to fully embrace this remake over that film, but that doesn’t mean he’s got negative things to say about what this cast has contributed. The critic writes: 

Courtney Howard agrees with others who saw an early screening that this movie belongs to the former American Idol winner and Danielle Brooks. Bring tissues, she warns, because this movie will get you. Howard posts: 

Come awards night, Ryan Casselman says there are several performances worthy of recognition, but the critic predicts Danielle Brooks may be the favorite. Casselman continues: 

Whether or not you’re familiar with the original movie, play or book — and Alice Walker’s novel is worth reading even after you’ve watched the movie — the critics say Blitz Bazawule’s offering is worth your time. Unfortunately for us, we’ve still got a few weeks before it hits theaters. The Color Purple is set to be released near the end of the 2023 movie calendar, on Christmas Day, Monday, December 25, so circle that date, and then check out our 2024 movie release schedule to get you started in the new year. 

It’s no surprise that Chlöe Bailey and Halle Bailey often get mistaken for each other. They are sisters who bare a strong resemblance to each other, and their intertwined music careers have made them even more closely associated with one another. They have more recently been branching out and moving to individual ventures. Though that hasn’t stopped Chlöe from often getting mistaken for her sister. Luckily, the singer doesn’t seem to mind and has a hilarious response whenever it happens. 

The "Treat Me" singer appeared on the Zach Sang Show, where she chatted about her recent musical ventures as well as her frequent collaboration with her sister. Halle Bailey rose to newfound fame when she played Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid this year, and Chlöe seems to be extremely proud of her sister. The recording artist even flexes this pride when she’s often mistaken for her sibling:

This is a hilariously sassy response to a question by a little kid, but the sentiment still shines true. The artist has had no problem supporting the Little Mermaid actress, and loves being associated with her family’s accomplishments. And Halle Bailey has returned the sisterly praise before as well. The two seem incredibly close, even as they've ventured off to individual projects and never shy away from talking about each other. Needless to say, I’m absolutely loving this sisterly bond. 

The two started off as a music duo Chloe x Halle and received widespread attention for their collaboration from a very young age. Both sisters ventured off into acting careers on shows like Black-ish and Grown-ish while also maintaining successful music careers together and on their own. Halle Bailey may have gotten a lot of attention for starring in The Little Mermaid, but Chlöe isn’t just her sister. Her 2021 debut single “Have Mercy” went certified platinum in the United States and her first solo album In Pieces got a lot of positive attention from fans and critics alike. 

Clearly a successful musician, she's still able to maintain an acting career of her own. She has a recurring role on the Donald Glover-produced dark comedy, Swarm, which you should know a little about before watching. Not only that, but she also has eyes on EGOT status. The starlet may often be mistaken for “The Little Mermaid”  but I also wouldn’t be surprised if Halle Bailey is often confused for her sister as well, especially given how high profile the Prime Video series is. They are a successful pair, and I’m glad that even as their fame and the number of accolades they get grow, they continue to root for each other on the sidelines. That’s true sisterhood. 

You can check out Chlöe and Halle Bailey’s most recent album collaboration, Ungodly Hour, which is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music along with Chlöe’s In Pieces. You can also see Chlöe on Swarm, which is streaming with an Prime Video subscription, while Halle Bailey's The Little Mermaid is available for Disney+ subscribers.

Halle Bailey has been on a roll as an actress this year. After headlining the Disney live-action blockbuster The Little Mermaid, she’s been snatching up more acting roles. Unfortunately, her career choice didn’t sit well with some fans as they wanted a musical return from Bailey. After one fan claimed she’s lost her way when it comes to making music, the The Little Mermaid star didn’t hesitate to clap back.

The discourse surrounding the Disney star’s music career began as some supporters started questioning whether she and her sister Chloe were still committed to the field. In recent months, both Bailey sisters have ventured more into the acting field. It seemed like fans were unsatisfied with this prospect as they aired their displeasure online. Revolt reported one Twitter user was bold enough to insinuate the sisters should get back to music and forgo acting.

It seemed like the commenter echoed the sentiment of multiple fans who want more music and less acting from the rising Hollywood star. Watching Bailey play her guitar made them want the actress to get back in the recording booth. Unfortunately, the tweet didn’t land well with the The Little Mermaid star as she spotted the snarky comment. Upon seeing the comment, Bailey hopped on her X (formerly known as Twitter) account to reply to the fan. The Grammy nominee clapped back in the tweet below.

The grown-ish alum teased a possible release soon. It appeared the singer had some new music in the works. She’s been working hard and didn’t appreciate someone suggesting otherwise. Compared to other stars, she handled the feedback with class and humor. Despite her classy clapback, the user deleted their post after her response.

The misguided fans seemed to forget the movie star released her debut solo single “Angel” earlier this year. The singer-actress had been teasing music through social media for months despite little information on when more music would be released. So, only time will tell when (or if) Bailey will make her debut as a solo artist.

While fans have been aching for more music from Hale Bailey, the lack of new music hasn’t been warranted as she moves forward with her busy acting career. She made a splash as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, receiving acclaim for her performance. The live-action adaptation grossed over $569 million worldwide despite a mixed critical reception. She then popped up in the indie drama The Line, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Viewers will see her on the big screen again as part of the all-star cast of The Color Purple musical adaptation debuts in theaters on December 25. So, it appears the rising star is following her best bet now while working on her music.

If fans want to hear her lovely voice in action, Hailey Bailey has continuously posted music covers online, including Billie Eilish’s Barbie song “What Was I Made For?” At the same time, viewers can watch her sing regularly by streaming The Little Mermaid through a Disney+ subscription.  As you wait for more career updates from Bailey, check out our 2023 movie schedule to see what other new releases are on the horizon.

Disney’s slate of live-action remakes doesn’t seem to have any kind of end in sight, at the moment. As the House of Mouse continues to crank out reimaginings of its classic films, the studio has naturally had to cast stars to bring beloved characters to life. This year, moviegoers saw Halle Bailey embody The Little Mermaid’s Ariel for the revamp. Next up to the princess plate will be Rachel Zegler, who’s been tapped to play the titular character in Snow White. Both actresses’ castings, unfortunately, led to a bit of controversy and, at present, some viral TikToks are comparing the two using interview footage and more. 

Why Are Social Media Users Comparing Disney Stars Rachel Zegler And Halle Bailey?

Rachel Zegler has been incredibly vocal about her turn as “the fairest of them all,” also sharing insight into how the new movie will differ from the 1937 version. But some fans seem to be displeased with past comments the West Side Story alum shared, particularly her critiques of the OG film and its central character. On the other hand, many find that Halle Bailey appeared somewhat more upbeat when talking about Ariel and her characterization in the lead-up to Little Mermaid’s release. With that, some people – like the following TikToker – have taken to splicing together interview footage of them in an attempt to show how they differ: 

Based on the videos (which have received countless likes and comments at this point), Disney fans believe the Shazam! Fury of the Gods alum is being disrespectful towards her character. The star herself takes issue with Snow White’s apparent lack of independence and sense of helplessness in the original movie among other elements. A user known as @marshmallowmoney opines that the 22-year-old star has been “contradicting the essence” of the character. Conversely, they stated that the Grown-ish alum spoke about Ariel “with such care and elegance.” Another user shared a video of their own, which they tried to exemplify differences between the two stars’ interviews: 

A TikToker that goes by the handle @bookishnadi also made note of the apparent dichotomy during an address in their own video. The user also questioned why neither Disney nor Rachel Zegler’s PR teams allegedly haven’t intervened and asked her to change her tune. Additionally, they believe this press could have a negative impact on Zegler’s other upcoming movie: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. That remains to be seen but in the meantime, we can discuss the blowback Zegler and her fellow Disney princess actress have experienced thus far.

Why Have The Two Disney Stars Experienced Blowback Related To Their Roles?

In addition to the comments Rachel Zegler has made, some of the public has taken issue with her casting for other reasons. The biggest seems to be the fact that she – a young woman of Colombian and Polish descent – doesn’t completely resemble the classic character. Sadly, that disdain has sparked a plethora of racist sentiments that have made the rounds on social media. On top of that, others have been critical of the alterations being made to the story, such as the exclusion of seven dwarfs. (Jackass’ Wee Man even chimed in on that front with some honest thoughts.) In terms of her own situation, Zegler responded to the backlash by thanking her fans and asking to be kept out of further discourse. 

Halle Bailey received backlash as well, though it wasn’t necessarily because of anything she said. Like her colleague, she also received racist blowback due to the fact that Walt Disney Pictures chose to reimagine Ariel as African American. Amid the situation, Bailey received a wide range of support, including some kind sentiments from OG Ariel voice actor Jodi Benson. Ultimately, Bailey’s performance was praised, and her doll became a huge bestseller at that. 

What’s also sweet is that Rachel Zegler and Halle Bailey have shown support for each other over these past several months. While some may be using the latter’s past sentiments to critique the former’s now, there are still plenty of people lending their positivity. It seems Zegler is aiming to focus on that and like Bailey before her, will block out the noise before her movie debuts. 

Snow White is set to hit theaters on March 24 as part of the 2024 movie schedule, while The Little Mermaid will be streamable with a Disney+ subscription starting September 6.

If you were one of the many moviegoers that made Barbie a massive success over the weekend, you’re probably still thinking about one pivotal moment at the end that involves the new Billie Eilish song “What Was I Made For?” As it turns out, The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey is right there with us, also, she has the angelic vocal cords to grace us with her version of the emotional song. 

Technically Halle Bailey is already a Barbie considering her Mattel Ariel doll was a huge bestseller earlier this year, but now she’s really giving Mermaid Barbie with a recent Instagram post. The actress and singer took to social media to share an incredible cover of “What Was I Made For?” and it’s absolutely giving me chills. 

Halle Bailey truly is Princess Ariel as a human. Her incredible vocals were supported by the app’s echo filter, and she absolutely elevated Billie Eilish’s song to sound like a Mermaid Barbie entering from the depths of the sea to sing her own want song, not unlike “Part of Your World.” It’s a gorgeous rendition of the track that’s simply going to leave me with goosebumps all day. 

“What Was I Made For?” was written by Billie Eilish and her usual collaborator and brother Finneas O’Connell. The song was crafted after Barbie’s soundtrack producer Mark Ronson invited the songwriters to watch Greta Gerwig’s movie. After Billie and Finneas experienced the movie months before it became 2023’s biggest blockbuster yet, they were inspired by Barbie’s themes to craft the song, which is how we got the hit.

Eilish shared with Billboard that she “did not think” about herself once while writing it. However, after the Oscar winner wrote it, she realized how every word really spoke to how she was feeling in a way she wouldn’t have been able to tap into without the movie serving as a prompt. Eilish’s involvement in Barbie was announced just weeks before the movie’s release and alongside the song coming out, she released this video, which she directed as well:  

While in the context of Barbie, the song serves as an inner monologue for Margot Robbie’s Barbie as she questions her own place in the world, the song also has a double meaning. It can be a rather existentialist track about questioning one’s place in the world. It particularly is a song Billie Eilish, or even Halle Bailey, can likely relate to given their lives are on display frequently. Just look at the lines: “Taking a drive, I was an ideal. Looked so alive, turns out I’m not real. Just something you paid for.” 

We love seeing Halle Bailey casually cover “What Was I Made For?” as Barbie becomes the biggest 2023 new movie release so far. Barbie is in theaters now. 

There’s nothing like spending the summer out in nature. Whether it be by the beach, in the mountains, or among the trees, it’s always nice to get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather while we can. Both Megan Fox and Halle Bailey took advantage of this as they posted images in green bikinis from nature photoshoots, and I'm kind of hoping this becomes a trend.  

Megan Fox Shared More Photos From Her Green Bikini Shoot

In Megan Fox’s last post from this green bikini shoot, she wrote that “the forest is my oldest friend.” This time around she noted that “the trees call me by my name” on Instagram. Based on these captions and just how comfortable and flawless the actress looks in these photos she seems to be right at home among the trees, check it out:

Not only is her sparkly green bikini the perfect summer staple, her entire look is giving the fantastical summer energy I need right now. Complimenting the swimsuit, Fox had magical pink butterflies in her hair which was done in beachy waves with white feathery extensions. I totally get why she's posted twice about this photoshoot, because this look is incredible. 

While Megan Fox has been seen in a black bikini, which follows suit with the black swim trend of the summer, this green moment is something totally unique, and I’m obsessed. Plus, now Halle Bailey has shown off her green bikini moment, and it really has me thinking these swimsuits might be the next big thing. 

Halle Bailey Also Rocked A Green Bikini In A Nature Post

So, with this throwback post from Halle Bailey, does this mean we have a new trend on our hands? After hopping on the Barbiecore trend at the same time as Sarah Hyland, The Little Mermaid star also showed off her green bikini via Instagram Stories around the same time Megan Fox did, check it out: 

Based on Bailey’s “missing Jamaica” caption, this post appears to be a throwback. Much like Megan Fox’s post, the actress is looking stunning in the jungle, and seems to be living her best life out in nature. She’s rocking a green bikini with lots of fun ties and high waisted bottoms. The entire look and the setting of the photo go perfect together, and it looked like the singer had a magnificent trip to Jamaica. 

This post is not only perfect for the summer, it’s also giving major Little Mermaid energy. The jungle setting makes me think of the “Kiss The Girl” when Ariel and Prince Eric are rowing through the beautiful trees as Sebastian and co. sing to them. Between the green bikini that kind of reminds me of Ariel's green tail and the nature in the background, I'm loving all the little parallel's to Bailey's Disney princess. 

Overall, both Halle Bailey and Megan Fox were looking gorgeous and green as they shared their bikini looks that they rocked out in nature. As summer continues, I’m sure we’ll get more magical fashion moments from these two. In the meantime, make sure to check both actresses' movies on the 2023 movie schedule. The Little Mermaid premiered earlier this year and will be available on VOD July 25. As for Fox, her upcoming film Expend4bles hits theaters on September 22.

Have you heard? It’s going to be a Barbie summer! With the 2023 new movie release now less than a week away, its influence on fashion is everywhere. The latest celebrities to be spotted in Barbiecore are The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey and Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland, who wore bright pink during their vacations. I absolutely love their fits, especially because they are also hair goals. 

First, check out Halle Bailey completely in her element by the sea in a hot pink zip-up bathing suit. The actress and singer didn’t disclose exactly where she’s soaking up the sun, but I love her participation in Barbiecore. It’s giving Barbie Mermaid! (Bailey even has her own Ariel doll that became a bestseller earlier this year.) Check out the Instagram post: 

The 23-year-old star looks great with the fit, but check out those locs! She's become rather famous for using her natural hair for The Little Mermaid. She’s had her locs since she was five years old and has said that they're a “huge part” of who she is. Implementing her hairstyle into Little Mermaid actually cost the Disney production six figures. But when it comes to Bailey’s vacation pic, the look is absolutely priceless, and the top knot her hair is in is gorgeous! 

Meanwhile, as summer rages on, Sarah Hyland also ventured out to the coast, somewhere in “paradise” while in Barbiecore as well. The Modern Family star is wearing a hot pink bikini set paired with a high-slit skirt coverup and top with sleeves. Take a look: 

This is another serve for sure! What I’m especially loving about this look is he hair, which includes some major curls. While the actress is best known for having straight hair mostly in her famed ABC comedy, she actually has naturally curly hair, and it’s so cool to see her embracing them completely while on vacation. Curls are not the easiest hair type to manage, but the Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin has clearly cracked the code. 

As the countdown for Barbie is in the days now, we’ve really seen the movie inspire fashion across Hollywood. Hot pink has been the color of the year, with the Kardashians even embracing the trend on social media along with actors like Sydney Sweeney, Megan Fox, Lizzo and Florence Pugh. Plus, Margot Robbie has gone big on Barbiecore for the press tour, even specifically channeling iconic doll looks on red carpets, premieres and such. I trust that looks like the ones sported by Halle Bailey and Sarah Hyland will continue to surface on social media throughout the movie's theatrical run.

Aside from embracing all the pink this summer if you really want to get in on the fun, there’s also a host of Barbie movie products to shop for to get ready for Greta Gerwig’s film, which hit theaters on July 21 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.

There are quite a few actors who can say they have starred in both Marvel movies and in some of Disney’s live-action remakes, such as Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie as Maleficent and Richard Madden as Cinderella’s Prince in 2015, before joining the Eternals cast. Several Marvel Cinematic Universe veterans also appeared in director Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book (including Black Widow actor Scarlett Johansson and Thor’s Idris Elba), and, most recently, Shang-Chi cast member Awkwafina voiced Scuttle in 2023’s The Little Mermaid. The point is that it might only be a matter of time before Halle Bailey — who leads the new Little Mermaid cast as Ariel — also joins that club.

The 23-year-old had already been making a name for herself as both a talented singer and actor (best known for the college-set black-ish spin-off, grown-ish) before she was cast as Ariel. However, her performance — one of the best things about the remake — has everyone curious about what she does next. Naturally, the potential to star in any upcoming superhero movies (especially upcoming Marvel movies) is something to take into consideration. So, that is exactly what I intend to do as I envision what Marvel characters would be a perfect fit for Bailey on the big screen (or small screen in a new Marvel TV show, even) — starting with one she has already expressed interest in playing.

Storm

It appears that people have been asking about Halle Bailey’s potential future as a Marvel movie star longer than I initially realized. In September 2022, at Disney’s D23 expo, Variety tweeted a clip on of the actor being asked what superhero she would love to portray now that she is part of the Disney family. She never quite gives a definitive answer, saying that playing “any Marvel superhero would just be amazing,” but did mention she has a soft spot for Storm.

Citing the savage attitude she channeled as Sky Forster on grown-ish as proof, I can see Bailey being a good match to play the fierce mutant otherwise known as Ororo Monroe, who has the foreboding nickname for her ability to control the weather. That being said, by the time the X-Men movies are finally rebooted in the MCU, she would likely still have to play an iteration closer in age to Alexandra Shipp’s portrayal in the last couple of movies, than that of Academy Award winner Halle Berry in the original live-action films. Plus, the idea of two Halle’s playing the same role is rather intriguing, if you ask me.

Kitty Pryde

Storm is, actually, not the only X-Men character that Bailey has already been associated with. In fact, just a month before Variety asked her about her dream Marvel movie role, the actor took to Twitter to debunk a rumor suggesting she had been cast in an upcoming X-Men movie as Kitty Pryde. However, many fans reacted to the tweet with hopes that it could be true one day and, quite frankly, why should it not be?

Otherwise known by the codename “Shadowcat” for her ability to phase through solid objects (among other things), this mutant Marvel character is a long-standing, widely beloved fan-favorite for her glowing personality that uniquely blends class with spunk. I think if we, once again, look at what she pulled off on grown-ish and try to combine that with her performance as Ariel, we would a new version of the character fans have been hoping to see again. Perhaps, one day, the supposedly dead plans for a Kitty Pryde solo movie could also be revived with Bailey involved.

Dazzler

If Bailey does not end up as Storm or Kitty Pryde, there is another character involved with the X-Men I have in mind for her who might be an even better fit. Anyone who has seen The Little Mermaid — which brought back some of the 1989 original’s iconic songs and introduced some new tracks — or has followed Bailey’s career as a singer knows that the actor has an astonishing set of pipes. As die-hard comic book aficionados should know, there could be an opportunity for her to use those talents in the MCU if cast in the role of Dazzler.

Born Alison Blaire, this mutant — who earned herself a spot fighting alongside the X-Men for her ability to turn sound into light — was actually first conceived with the intent for her to be made into a real-life pop star with her own concert tour (for which she would be played by an actor, of course). I think it would be cool to give that idea another shot, but with the actor who gets cast as Dazzler in the movies performing onstage. Who better to choose for that job that a real pop star like Bailey?

Ladyhawk

Anyone who is a fan of Bailey’s music career also knows that she is also one half of a singing duo that she formed with her grown-ish co-star and real-life sister, Chloe, that is aptly known as Chloe x Halle. Seeing them perform side by side and taking note of their close resemblance gave me an idea that would allow the siblings to act alongside other once again in the MCU.

After their crime boss father murdered Sam “The Falcon” Wilson, twin sisters Rosetta and Regina Morgan were inspired to defy their father’s reputation and become crime fighters, using their identical appearance to share the alias, “Ladyhawk.” Now, I should mention that the Bailey sisters are not identical, nor are they even twins — with Chloe being two years Halle’s senior — and I have very little doubt that there are no plans to kill off Anthony Mackie’s character — who is now the MCU’s Captain America — anytime soon. However, considering the Morgans hail from Earth-982 in the Marvel Multiverse, there is plenty of room for creative liberties here.

Mermaid

I am not going to lie. The first thing that I did after deciding to put Halle Bailey in the spotlight for my next hypothetical superhero movie casting session was see if there were any characters from Marvel Comics who are mermaids. As it turns out, there is a character that exists on Earth-9997 who is literally referred to as “Mermaid.”

What makes this fellow X-Men character — whose real name is unknown — unique is that the large aquatic fin she has in place of her legs is not just good for swimming, but actually helps her fly in the air. So, if anybody were to assume that Bailey was just repeating herself by taking on this role as her MCU debut, they would be in for quite a surprise.

On the other hand, if Bailey really wanted to surprise audiences, instead of joining the MCU (which is almost expected at this point given her established history with Disney), she should look into starring in some upcoming DC movies. Whichever world she wants to be a part of, she has our support.

Halle Bailey has already proven to be an inspiration to children for her portrayal of Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, with parents sharing their Black daughters’ reactions to the trailer last year. It turns out that’s not the only viral sensation Bailey has inspired. Now that the live-action remake has hit theaters, people are hitting up TikTok with their own attempts at one of Ariel’s most iconic moments, and if these hilarious videos are any indication, Bailey made it look a lot easier than it is.

One of The Little Mermaid’s most defining scenes comes after she saves Prince Eric’s life, and in a reprise of “Part of Your World,” the mermaid hoists herself up on a rock, just as a large wave crashes behind her, sending an epic shower of water exploding around her. TikTokers are embracing their inner Disney princess, with their own attempts at Ariel’s big moment, and we are lucky to be able to witness the results of efforts like this: 

So close! Halle Bailey opened up about filming “Part of Your World” in behind-the-scenes footage, getting real about the physical and emotional toll it took, as she said she was “crumbling” under the weight of Ariel’s desperate plea. I’m sure these fans have an even bigger appreciation for the actress’ talents after their own attempts: 

I can appreciate the crawling along the rock in this one, but that splash was just pathetic (and yet so funny). Other fans didn’t need the open water to create the wave effect, with this family using the cannonball technique: 

Now THAT is how you do a splash! The timing of the cannonball is key as well, and the following family achieved the perfect splash directly behind their Ariel, exploding at the exact right moment with the music: 

Perfection! 

Halle Bailey put a lot into her portrayal of the classic Disney character, especially during another iconic Ariel scene — the hair flip — which she said almost broke her neck (maybe that’s a TikTok trend we don’t need). With that in mind, you really have to give credit to those who allowed themselves to be pummeled by real waves in search of the perfect “Part of Your World” re-creation. like this TikTok user: 

Hardships of filming aside, it definitely seems like Halle Bailey had a blast filming this movie, as evidenced by more viral BTS footage that showed her and Prince Eric actor Jonah Hauer-King learning a dance with TikTok dancers @brookieandjessie, and now her fans are the ones turning scenes from the movie into fun social media posts. 

I love seeing Halle Bailey continuing to inspire fans of The Little Mermaid, proving that the iconic “Part of Your World” shot is actually do-able outside of animation. Please keep this hilarity coming! You can still catch The Little Mermaid in theaters, and take a look at our 2023 Movie Calendar to see what else is coming soon. 

Halle Bailey is living a lot of girls’ dreams right now as she has become The Little Mermaid. The live-action adaptation of the Disney classic is finally here. And While Halle Bailey got a lot of racist backlash to her casting that has continued to the present day, Bailey also got a lot of incredible support from fans and friends alike, and now she’s supporting those people in kind. She found the perfect way to help promote her sister Chloe’s music to all her new fans.

Halle Bailey posted a short video of herself on Instagram in the midst of a photo shoot, but the purpose of the clip wasn’t really to show off that she was taking pictures, it was to promote the music of her sister Chloe Bailey. These two have worked together for years but they are also each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Chloe was clearly so happy that her sister became The Little Mermaid, and now Halle wants to be sure everybody knows her sister’s music rocks.

While not every response to Halle Bailey becoming the Little Mermaid was positive, the fact is that a lot more people know who she is now than probably did before she was cast. As such, there are probably a lot of fans who aren't that familiar with the musical act that Halle and Chloe put together and the fact that Chloe has continued to make music on her own as the two sisters have begun to work on more solo projects including that whole “Disney Movie” thing that Halle had going on. 

Halle Bailey has starred in one of the biggest movies of the year, but Chloe Bailey has some pretty high goals for herself. She has talked about her desire to win the EGOT before, winning major awards for TV, music, film, and the stage. If she’s successful then Chloe Bailey may become a more household name, even though Halle started things off by becoming one of the most iconic characters in all of DIisney-dom.

It wouldn’t be that shocking if these sisters were super competitive. They’re working in very competitive industries and both clearly have a lot they want to accomplish. And while there may be something competitive there, they are siblings after all, they are ultimately nothing of supportive of each other, not simply wanting to see each other succeed but trying to do what they can to actually help each other succeed. 

Whatever the future holds for Haslle or Chloe, we can be sure that even when they're not working together, they will be supporting each other. Chloe was there for Halle's big moment and whatever Chloe accomplishes next, we can be sure Halle will be first in line to celebrate it

From the day that Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid was announced, she has had her star linked to that of Oscar winner Halle Berry. The similarities in their names led to more than a little confusion, but one of the results is that Halle Berry has been supporting Bailey’s movie since day one, and that hasn’t stopped since it opened.

There were a lot of very confused people a few years ago when it was revealed that Halle Bailey had been cast as the live-action Ariel and people, who did not know Bailey from her music career, believed that Halle Berry had been cast in the role. Berry has had fun with the confusion ever since, but she’s also become Bailey’s number-one cheerleader. She took to Instagram to celebrate the opening of the movie that linked them together.

I mean, on the one hand, it makes sense why people would have done a double-take when they thought Halle Berry had been cast in The Little Mermaid. At the same time, it seems so unlikely that you’d think people would have taken a second look before completely losing their minds over the idea. Some people even continued to literally believe Berry had been cast as Ariel as late as last fall, when a trailer for The Little Mermaid existed, making it clear who was in the movie.

For her part, Halle Bailey has spoken about the similarity in their names, and she makes it clear she doesn’t mind how close they are, as she’s a big fan of Berry and there’s nobody else she’d rather get confused with. The feeling certainly seems mutual. Berry celebrated not once but twice recently, sharing a recent Glamour magazine cover of the actress. 

If you’re going to have a Hollywood veteran in your corner there are a lot worse places to go than Halle Berry. The first Black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress is an absolute trailblazer, and it’s not hard to draw a line between Berry’s success and the career that Halle Bailey has put together, which has now reached a new pinnacle with her playing the lead in a live-action remake of one of Disney’s most iconic animated films.

It will be interesting to see where Halle Bailey’s career goes from here. If nothing else, it seems clear that she’ll continue to have Halle Berry in her corner, cheering her on with each new success. The Little Mermaid is certainly one of those successes, as the film received strong critical reviews overall and it won the box office two weekends in a row before Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse debuted this past weekend. 

Those who work on Disney's live-action remakes face a lot of pressure, as they must recreate some of the studio's beloved classics. The Little Mermaid especially had a lot of ground to cover, as it had the momentous task of crafting some of the most magical and beloved scenes from the original. One of these scenes was the iconic hair flip, which occurs when Ariel emerges from the water and dramatically tosses her red locks while silhouetted by the sun. It's a gorgeous image and one that the new film beautifully brought to life. However, pulling that off was difficult logistically, with Halle Bailey even claiming that she almost "broke" her neck.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Ariel actress revealed that due to the weight of the water and the length of her hair, recreating the hair flip wasn’t all that easy. There was simply too much pressure on the star's neck for her to flip her gorgeous locks by herself, and she needed help from the crew to accomplish the feat. She revealed:

It did come out beautifully in the end and is one of the best parts of The Little Mermaid. As a fan, I’m so glad the team made it happen since the original shot is so gorgeous, and a recreation of the moment almost seemed essential. However, while the stunt person certainly helped with the hair weight, it still put a strain on Halle Bailey’s neck. In a recent viral TikTok, the Grown–ish alum reacted to the shot in question, saying:

So even with the help from the crew, the water was still heavy and the act of whipping her hair back was still very dangerous. Thankfully, they got the shot without anyone getting hurt. Due to the nature of the film, Halle Bailey had to be incredibly physical with her performance, and the flip was definitely not the most strenuous scene. While they didn’t actually film a ton underwater, she still had crazy stunt training and participated in a lot of wire work. Some days, she was actually in the water, and she previously said that those were very physical as well. I guess Bailey is a quadruple threat: singer, actor, dancer and stuntwoman. 

The hair flip was also likely a risky scene from a financial standpoint. The amount of money spent on Halle Bailey’s wig hit six figures so, had the piece been damaged, it would’ve been expensive for the production. Also, the style of her hair was also particularly weighty and did not float underwater. (It was also down to her waist.) The actress certainly made it all work, though, as everything looked incredible on screen. And in the end, she truly captured the essence of Ariel.

You can see the magical hair flip moment in The Little Mermaid, which is currently in theaters nationwide. For more information on other much-anticipated films heading to cinemas in the near future, make sure to consult our schedule of 2023 new movie releases.

In the age of TikTok, more big names are going viral for taking part in fun videos and, recently, the stars of Disney's The Little Mermaid remake got in on the action. In the process of promoting one of the biggest titles on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases, Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King and Jacob Tremblay took part in a dance clip. The footage shows them dancing to the tune of “Part Of Your World,” and it's simply incredible. But if you think that sounds fun enough, just wait until you see the behind-the-scenes footage of the new Ariel and Prince Eric actors trying to nail down the routine. 

Last month, TikTok dancers @brookieandjessie got the opportunity to star in a video with three of the actors from the latest live-action Disney movie. Check out the video, which has over six million views:  

The clip is so random and cheesy, but it’s fun to see the three stars attempt to master the choreography. The cast couldn’t quite keep up with the TikTok dancers (though Halle Bailey was quite in sync). But hey, it's all in good fun and, let's be honest, they’ve already proven they have plenty of other talents, thanks to their work in The Little Mermaid. What’s even better than the initial video, though, is this behind-the-scenes footage of Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King learning the steps. Check it: 

It’s just too good! You can tell the two actors are having a blast trying to learn the dance in a short amount of time but are also taking it seriously all the same. The part that gets me is when Halle Bailey heads to the corner and records Jonah Hauer-King trying his hand at the choreo. The hardest part for Bailey was keeping a straight face for the final video while wearing sunnies. All in all, it's such a cute video and, unsurprisingly, the comment section went off. Here’s some of fans’ thoughts: 

• "The way she was recording him😭"
• "NOT THE BACKWARDS HEART 😭😭"
• "Jonah was STRESSED"
• "Do behind the scenes with Jacob Trembly"

Per the account, they will be posting an entire vlog on the experience with the stars learning their choreography to the YouTube channel on Sunday. And yes, that will include more of Jacob Tremblay learning his part in the dance, too! 

The three Disney stars certainly should be dancing considering the huge success The Little Mermaid has become since it hit theaters last weekend. The movie swam to the top of the box office during the Memorial Day holiday and has made over $236 million worldwide ahead of its second weekend in theaters. The Disney movie also received glowing reviews, with many calling it one of the best live-action remakes from the House of Mouse and singling out Halle Bailey's performance as Ariel. She and the cast are definitely impeccable performers, and I wouldn't mind see more adorable moments from them like the ones in the dance videos.

CinemaBlend has its own exclusive moment with Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King from The Little Mermaid press tour, where the pair shared the cute scene they shot on the first day of filming. And if you'd like to see them in their roles, check out the movie in theaters now.

In the moments of The Little Mermaid where Ariel can talk and more importantly sing, it’s mesmerizing. The same can be said about the actress/singer behind the princess as Halle Bailey is an equally angelic and wholesome human with the voice of an angel. We learned all of this by watching the lovely performer on the big screen as the iconic Disney character, but for Melissa McCarthy, she got to witness Bailey’s signing firsthand, and her story about it is adorable. 

As folks have started to see this new version of The Little Mermaid, reviews and viewers have been saying that Halle Bailey’s performance is a real highlight. Turns out she was a ray of light for The Little Mermaid cast as well. Melissa McCarthy explained how the actress could be found humming to herself on set constantly, and the Ursula actress loved it, telling Triple J Radio: 

To be on the receiving end of Halle Bailey's singing sounds like a dream, and to witness her just humming to herself would be incredible. I love that both McCarthy and The Little Mermaid’s boom operator were so enamored by the movie’s star, and her voice. The Bridesmaids actress continued to tell this sweet story, saying: 

This story is my favorite thing. While I was blown away when I heard Bailey sing “Part of Your World” on the big screen, being able to just hear her humming all day long sounds like the best thing ever. What really made this story so special is that McCarthy explained that she doesn't think her co-star knew she was singing to herself and everyone could hear, saying:  

Devine is a great way to describe this situation, and as McCarthy told the story I could tell that Halle Bailey, who was sitting right next to her, seemed flattered by the sweet re-telling. You can see the two actresses' adorable moment for yourself here: 

Isn’t that the best? While Ursula despises Ariel in The Little Mermaid, it’s as clear as day that Melissa McCarthy absolutely loved working with Halle Bailey. To see the voice that the actress has been gushing about left and right, you can check out the remake of the Disney classic in theaters now; you can also go back and watch the OG Little Mermaid with a Disney+ subscription. 

Luckily for all of us, we’ll have another opportunity to see Halle Bailey and her gorgeous voice on screen again as she’s set to star in The Color Purple. So make sure you are paying attention to the 2023 movie schedule so you are up to date on both actresses' upcoming projects.

The Little Mermaid’s Ariel is an absolutely iconic Disney heroine, especially when it comes to her look and flowing red locks. So when Halle Bailey nabbed the role, finding the right way to emulate this Disney Princess’ hair in live-action was of the utmost importance to the production. However, it came with a massive price tag too, as hair department head, Camille Friend recently revealed. 

Camille Friend has previously worked on numerous massive projects like the Black Panther movies across her career. For The Little Mermaid, she was tasked with bringing Ariel’s hair to the big screen. An early decision she made was to use Bailey’s natural hair rather than a wig, but the cost to make that happen was incredibly high. As Friend told Variety: 

Friend shared that she didn’t want to cut any of Halle Bailey’s hair, and because the breakout star’s locs were down to her waist (24 inches) as is, putting a wig over it was going to “look crazy.” The wrap process to turn Halle Bailey’s hair into Ariel's shape took 12 to 14 hours, too, per the hair department head. The 30-inch long hair was custom-colored into three shades of red we see in this new, fairly well-reviewed version of The Little Mermaid, and was fused with hair extensions. 

Additionally, Friend realized during the production process that “locs don’t float,” which was paramount to Ariel’s under-the-sea moments. Therefore, she decided to add loose pieces of hair to the look as well so the hair could “dance” with the many musical numbers in the movie. While much of what you see in the movie is Halle Bailey’s natural hair, many of the underwater sequences feature a CGI version of Friend’s styling. When Bailey was a mermaid on set, her hair was placed in a wrap and not to ruin the movie magic here, but the actress was not typically underwater in those sequences but in a sea of blue screen. 

Halle Bailey shared some of the behind-the-scenes process of filming “Part of Your World” this week. You can check it out below: 

While it certainly took a lot of money and care on Friend’s part, Halle Bailey’s Ariel is more of a palpable character having her natural hair on screen rather than some fake-looking wig, don’t you think? Plus, it was “super important” for the actress to have her natural hair in the film, as she told Ebony Magazine. 

Bailey has also shared that she’s had her locs since she was 5 years old, and they are a “huge part” of who she is. She found it was important for her hair to be seen on the big screen, because she wanted to show the world its “beautiful and more than acceptable.”

Thanks to Camille Friend’s work with Bailey and the hair department of The Little Mermaid, the production made it happen and it looks gorg! 

Stay tuned for more coverage of upcoming Disney movies on the 2023 film schedule once “Part of Your World” gets out of your head of course. 

Minor SPOILERS ahead for The Little Mermaid, now playing in theaters. 

Due to the circumstances of The Little Mermaid, in which Ariel gives up her voice to become human, the pair’s romance in the original 1989 movie left something to be desired. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how the live-action remake handled Ariel and Eric’s storyline. It was so much more palpable that the pair would find solace and love in one another, and my favorite scene in the movie was not only actually between them, but shot very early in the production of the film. 

When CinemaBlend spoke to Halle Bailey about the making of The Little Mermaid, which just crushed at the box office in its debut weekend, we talked about the sweet moment where Eric learns of Ariel’s name. It’s a moment right before “Kiss The Girl,” where the pair are looking to the stars and the prince is telling her about all the constellations. When he finds Aries up in the sky, the mermaid-turned-human touches his lips to make the sound “L” at the end of Aries so he could know her name. Halle Bailey shared how the scene came about.

As Bailey said, between the movie’s director and producer, the sequence was crafted. What’s pretty crazy is the idea that The Little Mermaid leads filmed their most charming scene (in my opinion) at the very start of production. However, perhaps what made it work the best were those “nervous new feelings” that Ariel and Eric were feeling on that boat as they became closer in the film? 

In the original movie, it’s Sebastian who cues Eric off to Ariel’s name ahead of “Kiss The Girl,” but I like the fact that she gets to engage more with him, even without her words, which really brings her personality to the surface. It makes it much more believable that the couple would fall in love. Another element of that is the additional revisions to the character of Prince Eric, such as making him a fish-out-of-water in his own life, and Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda giving him an “I want” song of his own with “Wild Uncharted Waters.” 

Additionally, despite Halle Bailey having so many scenes without dialogue, it was also a welcome addition for the talent to get additional songs to belt out, especially with “For The First Time,” which gives us more of an insight into her thoughts as she becomes a human. Of course, it’ll be up to every Disney fan to decide what they loved and what nitpicky problem or two they have with the live-action remake. Stay tuned for more coverage surrounding upcoming Disney movies here on CinemaBlend. 

Disney looks to have struck gold yet again with its live-action remakes, thanks to The Little Mermaid delivering yet another victory. As Ariel’s first weekend under the sea has landed an impressive opening weekend number for Rob Marshall's remake, star Halle Bailey has a lot to reflect on through her time making the picture. Part of those memories come from the day she filmed “Part of Your World,” which she admits was a "hard day" and a "crumbling" experience in a new behind-the-scenes video. 

Through a post shared on her personal Instagram, Bailey released several clips and snapshots from the filming of the fairytale production. Some are fun images, like co-star Jonah Hauer-King getting friendly with a cutout of Ariel. Others are some enlightening looks behind the scenes, like the clip that started off this collage of memories with the actor recounting the process of capturing this legendary tune. It's that clip that is worth pausing on.  

“Part of Your World” is definitely worthy of the description that Halle Bailey gave it in the video shown above. It’s the epitome of the “I Want” songs that the Disney musical canon is known for, with a reputation only bolstered by the fact that it came from the legendary team of Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman. 

It took two days to film all of the stanzas in the song, and those days were not easy, according to the actress. Bailey encapsulated all of the emotionality the song required but it took a toll. She noted of the experience: 

Like any professional, Halle understood the task at hand, while also admitting the nerves she felt on set. It’d honestly be crazy if she hadn’t felt like this at least once when making the summer movie hit, as it’s not like this is an obscure or older title that’s not available to those with a Disney+ subscription. Not to mention, The Little Mermaid’s musical centerpiece is as iconic as the film itself. 

In our own Little Mermaid song rankings, as well as the ranking of iconic Disney princess songs, "Part of Your World" is a top-tier champion challenged by so few. This sort of pressure is something that any Disney actor would probably feel when tackling a modern reinterpretation of a popular musical moment.

Admittedly, if there were going to be one singular moment that Halle Bailey felt this way on set, "Part of Your World" was probably always going to be it.  Thankfully, as with most Disney fairy tales, this story has a happy ending that will ring out for some time to come.

This familiar tune is probably still ringing in people’s ears, retaking karaoke bars, and parroted by so many youngsters and deep cut fans who made The Little Mermaid’s first place box office  a reality. Just as Jodi Benson had in the past, Halle Bailey is now taking her place among the pantheon of Disney princesses, with a powerful performance that’ll make for so many magical memories. 

Sometimes a bit of a crumble is all it takes to build something so strong.  Just don't be surprised if you fall apart a bit while watching this scene in The Little Mermaid, which is currently showing in theaters. Be sure to have the appropriate amount of tissues on hand.  

Ariel wanted to be where the people are — so she went! Halle Bailey, the star of The Little Mermaid live-action remake that hit theaters this weekend, was shown making her own visit to the movies, walking around on those — what do you call them? — feet, right past oblivious fans who were hilariously taking selfies in front of a huge, wall-sized advertisement for the movie. The actress shared a video of her undercover operation on social media, as she thanked everyone for helping to make The Little Mermaid No. 1 at the box office this weekend.

Halle Bailey showed out in several Ariel-themed looks ahead of her movie’s release, but when she arrived at the theater for a Memorial Day weekend viewing, she was sporting a much stealthier wardrobe of all black, including a long leather jacket. No wonder fans didn’t recognize her! Check out the funny video below: 

Facemasks have proven to be an effective way for celebrities to maintain a little more anonymity, and coupled with her sunglasses, Halle Bailey was able to waltz undetected into the movie theater to catch a glimpse of herself on the big screen. I can’t help but imagine how those fans in the video would react to knowing that she was RIGHT THERE as they snapped their pics. One fan stood with her arms out, showing off The Little Mermaid display, while another took a selfie with the huge poster. 

It looks like the Ariel portrayer walked in toward the beginning of the movie — after the lights went out — which was a good plan if she was trying to remain incognito. Her video ended before she and her companion got all the way inside, but hopefully she did get to sit down and enjoy seeing the results of all of her hard work. 

The grown-ish actress certainly wasn’t alone in her choice to see The Little Mermaid — the latest in a number of upcoming live-action Disney remakes. The movie from Rob Marshall, with music by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda, more than quadrupled the earnings of this weekend’s No. 2 finisher at the box office. Halle Bailey’s film brought in $95.5 million, while Fast X dropped to second place in its second weekend with $23 million. It was a good start for the Disney movie in a summer filled with family-friendly options. 

The Little Mermaid faced some criticism ahead of its premiere for some of the changes made for the remake, including the development of Prince Eric’s story. Also, the 1989 film’s soundtrack is still beloved by many, so fans were wary of tweaks made to some of the lyrics of the classic songs; however, even the 1989 Ariel voice actress Jodi Benson agreed those alterations were necessary. In the end, even while critics’ responses to the new songs were middling, CinemaBlend’s Corey Chichizola was among many who praised Halle Bailey’s performance, as he called her a “bonafide superstar.”

The film is in theaters now, so if you want to be part of that world (all-black attire and sunglasses optional), see if buying a 3-D ticket to The Little Mermaid is right for you. Also check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what else is hitting the big screen this year — including a number of big releases between now and Labor Day.