
It’s a whole new The Little Mermaid swimming into theaters this weekend. The live action remake of the 1989 animated Disney film stars Halle Bailey in the title role. She’s African-American, and many say the move is a huge leap forward in representation.
“The representation is so part of why I’m so excited to be part of this movie,” South African-British actress Noma Dumezweni, who plays a new character in the film, Queen Selina, mother to Prince Eric, tells ABC Audio.
“Because we have grown up in a different time. And look we all live in a small space and then when we meet the rest of the world, sometimes a lot of us get scared,” she continues. “Sometimes a lot of us go into adventure mode and want to meet other people. But the majority of people are fearful. And so what? For me, it is a fairy tale. A lot of people will see themselves. And for me, that’s when things make sense.”
And watching the film on the big screen at the premiere, adds Dumezweni, was a magical experience.
“To sit in an auditorium with thousands, literally thousands of people going, ‘Wow, this is it,'” she shares. “And that screen and the applause after each song. And I’m not singing, I was like, ‘This is it’s fabulous. It’s fabulous.'”
Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric, recalls “I got quite lucky because most of our stuff, pretty much all of our stuff we actually could see around us, we actually experienced.”
Adds Jonah, “I don’t know how Halle and the mermaids and Melissa [McCarthy] … did it, because they were in a blue box, essentially. Whereas our palace, that kiss the girl rainforest, you know, that was all there.”
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
Music notes: BTS, Olivia Rodrigo and more
December 5, 2023
More members of BTS are getting ready to set out on their mandatory South Korean military service.…
“She’s a genius”: Jimmy Fallon explains how Meghan Trainor helped him wrap up a holiday hit
December 5, 2023
Disney/Randy HolmesOver the past few years, Jimmy Fallon has released some Christmas songs with the…
“Barbenheimer” stars Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy talk the year’s most unlikely double feature
December 5, 2023
Warner Bros. Pictures - UniversalOppenheimer star Cillian Murphy sat down for one of Variety's…
Lil Nas X Crocs collab now available, along with custom Jibbitz charms
December 5, 2023
Courtesy CROCSLil Nas X will help keep your feet toasty this winter — not by holding them to the…
Nicolas Cage says he’s done with movies, wants to try TV
December 5, 2023
ABC/Randy HolmesNicolas Cage may be trading the big screen for the small screen in the near……
Pedro Pascal, Margot Robbie among ‘People”s Most Intriguing People of 2023
December 5, 2023
Getty Images for DisneyPeople has released its Most Intriguing People of 2023, and as always, it's…
Taylor Swift is the most powerful entertainer on ‘Forbes” World’s Most Powerful Women list
December 5, 2023
Kevin Mazur/WireImage for ParkwoodTaylor Swift is the only musician — and the only entertainer — in…
Disney/Pixar streaming movies ‘Soul’, ‘Luca’ and ‘Turning Red’ heading to theaters for the first time
December 5, 2023
'Soul' - Disney/PixarThree Disney/Pixar movies that made their debuts on Disney+ are heading to…