‘The Little Mermaid’ World Premiere Brought Out Every Fish In The Sea

Although the most anticipated live-action Disney remake of the year officially premieres in theaters on May 26, The Little Mermaid made its world premiere on Monday, May 8, in Los Angeles.

Led by singer and actress Halle Bailey, the film saw stars from all walks of the industry flood the blue carpet, later enjoying a first viewing of the movie before the public.

“This moment means everything to me, I’m so grateful to be here,” Bailey told Deadline live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. “I just feel really honored and I’m happy the day has finally come where we can all watch it. It means the world to me, especially for the beautiful babies to be able to see a reflection of themselves.”

She added, “I am just honored to be a part of this and be one of the princesses now because for me it was Brandy as Cinderella and then Anika Rose as Princess Tiana. So the fact that I am getting to continue this and live on this legacy is really exciting and I’m just grateful.” See clip below.

#TheLittleMermaid’s Halle Bailey on the cultural impact of playing Ariel and what it means to her pic.twitter.com/lpdK74Mhqj

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 9, 2023

Truly a rocky journey to the big screen, Bailey initially faced a ton of backlash (but even more praise) about being a Black version of the white, red-headed Disney princess. Following in the steps of the aforementioned Brandy as Cinderella and Anika Rose as Princess Tiana, Bailey admitted to feeling the cultural impact that she’s making.

“Seeing the world’s reaction to it was definitely a shock, but seeing all the babies’ reactions, all the brown and Black young girls, really tore me up emotionally,” she said back in March following negative opinions on her starring role.

The public still has a week to go before filling theaters to capacity, but check out some of the stars who took the blue carpet at The Little Mermaid‘s early world premiere below.