Halle Bailey has officially wrapped on Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid! The actress and singer, 21, celebrated the occasion with a photo of herself as Ariel on set on a beach in Sardinia, Italy on Instagram on July 12, rocking a bikini top against the scenic sunset; Halle also penned a sentimental caption about her experience, revealing that it has made her stronger in the face of self doubt.
“and just like that..that’s a wrap,” Halle captioned the post on Monday. “after auditioning for this film when i was 18 just about to turn 19 , to now finishing filming through a pandemic when i turned 21 ..we have finally made it…💖i feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory..it has been the toughest experience being away from everything and everyone i’ve ever known, to feeling self doubt/ loneliness, but also feeling such freedom and perseverance as i’ve reached the end.”
Adding that she was grateful for the experience, Halle gushed over co-stars Jonah Hauer-King (Prince Eric), Jacob Tremblay (Flounder), Javier Bardem (King Triton), Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Awkwafina (Scuttle), and Daveed Diggs (Sebastian), celebrating the “masters of their craft” who were “welcoming and opening to little old me.” Halle wrote, “i cannot wait for time to speed up so you all can watch this film because it was made with so much love (plus blood sweat and tears).”
Directed by Rob Marshall and set to feature music from the original as well as new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda and the film’s original composer Alan Menken, the live-action will follow the same general premise of the 1989 animated film. Initially set for a debut earlier this year (with production halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the film does not have an official premiere date yet. Disney announced the casting of Halle as Ariel in July 2019, garnering praise for the inclusive casting of a Black Ariel.
Halle’s previous credits include Grown-ish, Let it Shine, and Last Holiday. She and sister Chloe Bailey also headline the Grammy-winning R&B group Chloe x Halle, signed under Beyoncé‘s production company Parkwood Entertainment.