Disney’s The Little Mermaid had its world premiere Monday night (May 8). The film stars Halle Bailey (Ariel), Jonah Hauer-King (Prince Eric), Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Javier Bardem (King Triton), Jacob Tremblay (Flounder), and Daveed Diggs (Sebastian).
Bailey spoke about the cultural impact of playing Ariel as an African-American woman.
“This moment means everything to me, I’m so grateful to be here,” she told Deadline during the premiere’s “blue carpet.” “I just feel really honored and I’m happy the day has finally come where we can all watch it.”
“It means the world to me, especially for the beautiful babies to be able to see a reflection of themselves,” she added. “I am just honored to be a part of this and be one of the princesses now because for me it was Brandy as Cinderella and then Anika Rose as Princess Tiana. So the fact that I am getting to continue this and live on this legacy is really exciting and I’m just grateful.”
The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26. Take a look at the stars who hit the “blue carpet” for the premiere below:
