The live-action and animated versions of Ariel come together in a The Little Mermaid TikTok video to the perfect song. Starring pop singer Halle Bailey as the titular princess, Disney’s latest live-action remake is based on the 1989 animated classic of the same name. Melissa McCarthy takes the role of the evil sea witch Ursula with Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.
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Cosplayer Kaz Tarshis (@thequeenofglitter) took to TikTok to share a perfect collaboration between the live-action Ariel and the original Disney animated version.

Tarshis as the original Ariel is joined by @jessiladay as Halle Bailey’s live-action version. The pair sing the duet “I Am A Girl Like You” from the animated movie Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper to make a statement that the new Ariel is just as good as the original.

Halle Bailey Is Perfect As Ariel

Immediately following her casting announcement as Ariel, Bailey faced backlash from some who deemed her casting as part of an agenda. With Bailey being black and Disney’s earlier depiction of Ariel being white, there was pushback from those who did not want any change, resulting in attacks rooted in racism targeted at Bailey and the animation studio. However, Bailey has since proved herself as a wonderful choice to embody the role of such an iconic character.

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Bailey began singing and performing at a very young age alongside her talented sister Chloe Bailey, even landing roles in films as early as three-years-old. After gaining fame on YouTube, the pair officially became the R&B duo Chloe X Halle and took the world by storm. Her popularity led to bigger roles on television including a main role on ABC’s Black-ish spinoff Grown-ish, proving her acting ability. Halle Bailey’s 2019 performance at the Grammy’s captivated The Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall in which he called her an “angel.” This led to the singer being the first to audition for the role and her inevitable casting.

Although The Little Mermaid remake was met with mixed reception from critics, they nearly all agree that Bailey excelled as Ariel, exuding the innocence and wonderment of the sheltered princess while providing the vocal talents to nail the film’s memorable songs. Although Disney has so far received varying results from their live-action cinematic adaptations, with The Little Mermaid so far earning $186 million during its first weekend and the audience ratings at a high 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the massive studio may have another resounding success on their hands.

Source: Kaz Tarshis (@thequeenofglitter)