Snow White star Rachel Zegler stands in support of Halle Bailey's The Little Mermaid casting. Disney has recently worked on expanding their slate of live-action adaptations of animated features. Since 2015's Cinderella starring Lily James, Disney went on to release 2017's Beauty and the Beast, 2019's Aladdin, and 2020's Mulan. The live-action adaptations of these animated classics sometimes function as direct remakes and occasionally add their own spin on the old stories. While fan response to live-action reboots of Disney films is usually mixed, with viewers questioning the necessity of remakes, many fans enjoy seeing their beloved stories updated with Disney's impressive modern production budget.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Currently in the works are a live-action Hercules, The Little Mermaid, and Snow White. Zegler and Gal Gadot are set to star in Snow White, the former as the titular princess. Bailey will star in The Little Mermaid, which is based on the 1989 animated classic of the same name, as Ariel. Since her casting, Bailey has been the subject of racist backlash due to the studio casting a Black actor for the role, which was only renewed when Disney recently released a brief clip from the film. Bailey has fortunately also received plenty of praise from fans and fellow actors, including original Ariel voice actor Jodi Benson, and her clip was met with an emotional response from those who see themselves in Bailey's version of the Disney princess.
Now, Zegler becomes the latest to take to Twitter and express her support for Bailey. After a user expressed support for Zegler's casting as Snow White but rejected Bailey's, topping off their tweet with "#NotMyAriel," the new Disney star swiftly shut them down. See her succinct response below:
It's clear that Zegler is not here for any praise of herself that puts down anyone else, and given the backlash she herself has faced for being a Latina cast as Snow White, her support of Bailey shows solidarity. Both actors face enormous pressure taking on the beloved roles and bringing the princesses to a new generation, so it's encouraging they're able to stand strong in the face of such criticism. The new generation of Disney princesses have proven the future of the royal franchise is in good hands, and it's heartwarming to see the two women stand by one another as their mere existence inspires such hateful reactions.
Luckily, for every racist remark aimed at Bailey and Zegler, there is an expression of fervent support. The former has clearly elected to bask in the positivity rather than giving in to the hate, recently sharing a clip of her reactions to young girls of color watching her Little Mermaid clip with excitement. As Hollywood continues making small efforts to diversify films and television series, naysayers will always make themselves known, which makes it even more important for actors of color to lift each other up and stand together, as Snow White's Zegler has done. Based on Bailey's impressive performance in the short clip released by Disney, the negativity will soon be obsolete when audiences see The Little Mermaid for themselves.