Despite Racist Backlash Halle Bailey ’Little Mermaid’ Casting Was Well Received, Says New Poll

The results of a new Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult poll revealed that despite the vocally racist response from some, most Americans approve of Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake.

News of Disney casting Halle Bailey as Ariel for the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid was received positively by many who were excited to see an actress of color take on the iconic role. However, a vocal group of individuals who opposed the casting of Halle Bailey as a fictional character who was previously depicted as Caucasian took their displeasure to Twitter and managed to get the “#NotMyAriel” hashtag trending online. Yet, despite the racist reactions from certain individuals, a new Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult poll conducted from July 8 to 10 reveals most of the 2,200 adults Americans surveyed support Halle Bailey’s casting.

According to the results, 17% of respondents replied that they “oppose” Halle Bailey playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid while 8% “somewhat oppose” and 9% “strongly” oppose the casting. However, 34% of those polled “strongly support” Halle Bailey being the new Ariel while 21% “somewhat support” the decision. The “no opinion” option was selected by 23% of those surveyed.

In terms of political parties, 75 percent of self-described Democrats supporting Halle Bailey’s The Little Mermaid casting while only 44 percent of Republicans approved.

Disney’s original The Little Mermaid centered on princess Ariel, who longed to explore the world beyond the sea. After saving Prince Eric from drowning, Ariel turns to the sea witch Ursula and trades in her voice in order to become a human for the chance to meet the man she rescued.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake will be directed by Rob Marshall from a script written by David Magee. Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play the villainous sea witch Ursula while Jacob Tremblay & Awkwafina are being eyed for the roles of Flounder and Scuttle, respectively.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken will write new songs for the remake to be included alongside the classic tunes the latter penned for the animated version of The Little Mermaid. In addition to his duties as a songwriter, Lin-Manuel Miranda will serve as an executive producer alongside Rob Marshall, Marc Platt, and John DeLuca.

Disney is expecting to begin production on The Little Mermaid remake in early 2020.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter