Parents have been sharing their daughters’ reactions to the new trailer for Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and the results are adorable.
The new film stars Halle Bailey in the title role, and the crowd at Disney's D23 Expo went wild for a teaser featuring Ariel singing “Part of Your World.”
It was later released online.
The Little Mermaid - Official Teaser Trailerwww.youtube.com
Young black girls who see the trailer are positively glowing over the representation. Need proof? Look no further than social media, where parents have shared their daughters’ reactions to the reveal of Halle Bailey as Ariel.
@preciousavery I love this for my 3 years old 🤎 #littlemermaid #toddlersoftiktok #hallebailey #girlpower
@thedfwdad Never thought a movie trailer could make me cry but then I saw @halle and knew how it would make my kids feel. Thanks @disney for making my kids feel seen. Can’t wait to be at Disney World in 12 days! #disney #interacialadoption #representationmatters #littlemermaid #thelittlemermaidtrailer #partofyourworld #blackgirlmagic #girldad #d23 #disneyadult
@workingmama My daughter’s reaction 😭 to the little mermaid trailer. #littlemermaidtrailer #representationmatters
A video shared by Precious Avery shows her toddler’s reaction as Bailey comes on screen.
She excitedly says:
“I think she's brown!”
In a different video, another young girl watching the trailer happily asks:
“Is Ariel actually Black?”
After spotting one of the videos on Twitter, even Bailey herself couldn't help but react to the trailer's powerful impact.
The happiness on these little faces is beautiful.
The film drew racist comments after the 2019 announcement that Bailey would play the titular character. In the original animated film, Ariel was a white woman with red hair, and racists have accused Disney of being “too woke” when casting this version.
Meanwhile, Jodi Benson, who was the original voice of Ariel, has offered her full support for Bailey.
And other fans are more than happy to share in this joy.
The film is slated for a May 2023 release and, in addition to songs from the original, it will include four new songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
