The Little Mermaid's Halle Bailey Shares First Look At Herself In Character As Filming Wraps

The Chloe X Halle singer will take on the iconic role in Disney's upcoming live-action remake.

Halle Bailey has marked the end of filming Disney’s upcoming The Little Mermaid remake with what appears to be a first-look snap at herself in character as Ariel.

Last year, it was announced that the Grammy-nominated star would be taking the lead role in Disney’s latest live-action remake, with Jonah Hauer-King appearing as Prince Eric and Melissa McCarthy playing the iconic villain, Ursula.

On Monday evening, Halle posted an update on her Instagram page, revealing that filming on the project was now complete.

Alongside a picture of herself in the ocean, she reflected on the journey to becoming Ariel, writing: “And just like that… that’s a wrap. After auditioning for this film when I was 18 just about to turn 19, to now finishing filming through a pandemic when I turned 21… we have finally made it.”

Halle continued: “I feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory… it has been the toughest experience being away from everything and everyone I’ve ever known, to feeling self doubt/ loneliness, but also feeling such freedom and perseverance as I’ve reached the end.

“This experience has made me so much stronger than I ever thought I could be.”

Praising her co-stars, she said Jonah Hauer-King “will be my friend for infinite lifetimes” and hailed Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem (King Triton), Awkwafina (Scuttle) and Daveed Diggs (Sebastian) as “legends” and “masters of their craft”.

“I cannot wait for time to speed up so you all can watch this film because it was made with so much love (plus blood sweat and tears),” she added.

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Halle Bailey at the premiere of The Lion King in 2019
Kevin Winter via Getty Images

The Little Mermaid will be Halle’s first major film role.

While she’s appeared in the sitcom Grown-ish since 2018, she is best known for her work as a singer.

She and her sister Chloe make up the musical duo Chloe X Halle, who are signed to Beyoncé’s record label and last year won huge praise for their second album Ungodly Hour.

The pair have racked up five Grammy nominations in the last two years, including for Best New Artist and Best R&B Song for Do It.