By Katherine Lewin
DiversityInc
Chloe x Halle member Halle Bailey has been tapped to play Ariel in the upcoming ‘Little Mermaid’ live action movie. The Disney (No. 20 on the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list) classic will be brought back to life with Bailey. After months of searching, director Rob Marshall said that Bailey appeared as the clear winner.
“After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” Marshall said in a statement.
Actress Halle Berry quickly took to Twitter to congratulate Bailey.
“In case you needed a reminder… Halles get it DONE. Congratulations @chloexhalle on this amazing opportunity, we can’t wait to see what you do!” Berry tweeted. “This means the world. happy to share names with you love you lots,” Bailey replied.
Berry wasn’t the only one to reach out to Bailey to congratulate her on taking on such an iconic role. Mariah Carey also took to Twitter. “Congratulations Halle! My kids and I are so excited for the emancipation of Ariel,” she said.
A #NotMyAriel hashtag popped up after the announcement – but Twitter took to defending Bailey in hilarious ways.
Ariel will be Bailey’s first role ever on the big screen. Bailey formed Chloe x Halle in 2015 with her sister and they quickly rose to fame. Since their discovery, the sisters have signed a record deal with Parkwood Entertainment and opened for Beyoncé on her “Lemonade” tour. Bailey also stars in the Freeform series “Grown-ish.” The film, which will begin production in early 2020, will feature songs from the 1989 animated classic by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as new songs by Menken and Miranda.
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