Widely known as the younger half of the R&B sister duo ChloeXHalle, Halle Bailey has ventured out on to other endeavors with her Hollywood debut as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” live-action film.
The film’s director, Rob Marshall, released a statement about the casting on Wednesday. He said, “After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role.”
Bailey and her older sister, Chloe, rose to fame mainly due to their relationship with Beyonce, whom they opened for during her “Formation” and “On the Run II” world tours.
The young singer will be joining Melissa McCarthy, who is set to play Ursula, the antagonist.
Although the original compositions from the 1989 animation that will be included, Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton” fame will be in charge of additional songs.
The film is Disney’s fourth live-action adaptation and is set to begin production next year.
Nia Primus
