The Original Ariel Weighs In On 'The Little Mermaid' Remake

Disney’s D23 Expo saw the House of Mouse unveiling projects and releasing trailers for a slew of their upcoming movies, including 2023’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid!

The new film, which stars Halle Bailey (grown-ish / Let It Shine) as the titular ocean-dweller, was announced in 2019 and instantly received substantial criticism – partly for being ‘another Disney remake’, but also for Bailey’s casting, which drew backlash from people who didn’t realise mermaid folklore originated in Europe, Asia and Africa.

It’s a weird hill to die on and we still don’t understand it!

Watch the new trailer:

One person who isn’t a critic, however, is Jodi Benson.

Benson’s many roles include Barbie in the Toy Story movies, Sam in Enchanted and (most famously) Ariel in the original 1989 Little Mermaid.

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In a since-expired Instagram Story, Benson praised Bailey for her portrayal of the character.

“Halle, you were absolutely amazing! I’m SO proud of you and your beautiful performance as Ariel!,’ she captioned a photo of Bailey and director Rob Marshall.

We’re just saying: if there’s one opinion we’re willing to trust, it’s probably Jodi’s!

The Little Mermaid is set to swim into theaters on May 26, 2023.

Catch our new podcast, The Streaming Service with Justin Hill, to find out what to watch on Netflix, Stan and more - on LiSTNR, available for iOS and Android: