Dwayne Johnson has shared his love for The Little Mermaid and its star Halle Bailey. The new film, which opened in theaters on May 26, is a live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic about a young mermaid named Ariel who trades her voice to the sea witch Ursula in exchange for a pair of legs with which to explore the human world. Bailey, who is best known as one half of the music duo Chloe x Halle and a star of the Freeform sitcom Grown-ish, plays the title role.Sunday on Twitter, Johnson shared a message from the theater after bringing a gaggle of kids (including his own) to a screening of the Little Mermaid remake.
The little Queen’s have spoken – we LOVED the LITTLE MERMAID 🧜ðŸ¾â™€ï¸ðŸ§œðŸ¾â™€ï¸ðŸ¿ðŸ¿ðŸ‘ðŸ¾ðŸ‘ðŸ¾ðŸ‘🾠Huge thank you to the amazing @hallebailey + director Rob Marshall, @disneystudios for being so gracious and kind. The invite, the movie, the toys, the SNACKS 😂â¤ï¸ I’m very impressed with Halle’s… pic.twitter.com/fHpfLdmRsw — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 4, 2023
In the video, he largely has the kids share their love for Bailey, her voice, and Ariel herself. In his extra-long caption, he shares his appreciation for Bailey’s fortitude and for being the “hardest worker in the room,” celebrating a film that inspires people of “all shades, all colors.”
Will Dwayne Johnson’s Moana Remake Do As Well As The Little Mermaid?
Another reason the Little Mermaid screening was likely meaningful to Johnson was the fact that he is producing a live-action remake of 2016’s Moana, in which he will reprise the role of the demigod Maui. That film also centers on a Disney heroine of color, highlighting the culture of the native peoples of the Pacific. Considering The Little Mermaid‘s success, to the tune of about $250 million worldwide so far, this spells good news for Johnson’s Moana remake.
However, it remains to be seen if Moana will capture the same audience as The Little Mermaid. There are several points for and against it that could see it go either way. For one thing, it features Johnson, who is a huge international star, more so than the considerably less-established Bailey.
However, The Little Mermaid has a long-held status as a minted Disney classic. While Moana was well-received when it came out, it might be too recent of a film for audiences to feel like they need a fresh take on the material. However, even if it doesn’t do quite as well, it will still further the message that Johnson shares here, bringing characters of color to the fore in a magical and memorable way.
