The Little Mermaid may only just be hitting movie theaters this weekend, but Halle Bailey is already capturing the hearts of young fans across the globe.
Bailey, 22, is set to take the reigns in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, starring as crimson-haired Ariel, a mythical sea-dwelling creature who gives up her life in the sea to become human.
The Disney movie hits cinemas on Sunday, May 26 - but it's already been met with some controversy by certain fans who didn't believe a fictional sea creature could be portrayed by a Black actress. This spawned the hashtag #NotMyAriel, and Bailey was subjected to a slew of vile and racist tweets.
At the same time, Bailey's appearance in the new flick was a welcomed change for young Black and Brown girls who would be able to see a Disney princess who looked like them on the big screen.
Atlanta-born Bailey defended herself against the critics during a Q&A video on her YouTube channel last year, where she said: "As a Black person, you just expect it and it's not really a shock anymore. I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that they're special, and that they should be a princess in every single way.
"There's no reason that they shouldn't be. That reassurance was something that I needed."
Bailey then said: "It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, telling me, 'You don't understand what this is doing for us, for our community, for all the little Black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you.'"
And she was spilling the truth tea - in fact, Bailey visited Walt Disney World in Florida this week where she made the day of a young fan who recognized her as Ariel.
Taking to Instagram, Bailey posted several short clips of their sweet exchange, captioning one of them with: "Met this beautiful baby Mila Rose who made me cry [...] She just hugged me so tight [...]."
In the video, Bailey told the little girl: "You're so pretty," while someone off-camera told the actress: "Ariel's her favorite."
"Really? You're so beautiful and sweet, what's her name? Mila?" Bailey said in the video. "So sweet. Mila, do you want to smile for the camera? Take a picture?"
"She won't let go," Bailey adds, clearly touched by the little girl's adoration.
Bailey had been in Disney World after being named as the celebrity ambassador for this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy.
Filming for The Little Mermaid took place on location in London, and sometimes lasted up to 13 hours per day. Bailey spoke about this to Edition Modern Luxury lately, where she revealed that this year's remake will deviate slightly from the original.
"I pushed myself as far as I've ever pushed myself in life. And I feel like the message from her was to know that you've always had it in you," Bailey said, before adding that she was "really excited for my version of the film" after the film studio altered the script to ensure that Ariel's desire to leave the ocean doesn't just revolve around a man.
"We've definitely changed that perspective of just her wanting to leave the ocean for a boy," she said. "It's way bigger than that. It's about herself, her purpose, her freedom, her life, and what she wants."
