The countdown is on! We’re just a couple of months away from the release of Disney’s new live-action remake, The Little Mermaid. The reimagined classic film sees songstress Halle Bailey as Princess Ariel, the youngest daughter of King Triton. Today (March 6), the 22-year-old showed off her Barbie doll, made in her likeness, ahead of the big day.
“Today, I have something really exciting to reveal to you all. I am gonna cry,” Bailey said in a clip posted to her Instagram account. “This is the new Little Mermaid doll. I am literally choking up because this means so much to me, and to have one that looks like me, that’s my favorite Disney character, is very surreal,” she shared while showing off the figurine. “And look, she even has my mole… and the hair… I’m just stunned. So, I don’t quite know what to do with it, but I’m going to steal this, and take it home and hide it forever,” she added with smiles and giggles.
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For her Instagram caption, she wrote, “Omg, the little girl in me is pinching herself right now. I have my own Little Mermaid Ariel doll! I can’t believe how much she captures my version of this iconic character. [Be right back], gonna go cry now.” Bailey’s famous peers and fans praised her success in the comment section. “Congratulations, you are so inspiring,” Coi Leray wrote. The actress’ older sister, Chloe Bailey, said, “I’M BUYING 100 OF THEM.” Others noted how important this moment is for millions of children across the world: “Y’ALL DONT KNOW THIS IMPACT.” Another said, “OMG!! Every little girly in my family will be getting one of these.”
Meanwhile, some in the comment section suspected Halle was with her mentor, Grammy-winning entertainer Beyoncé, when she recorded the clip. At one point, another woman’s voice is heard off-camera saying, “I want one.” The “Church Girl’s” cousin, Angie Beyince, seemingly confirmed the hunch by commenting, “I’m w/ [bee emoji], I want one!” The Little Mermaid arrives in theaters worldwide on May 26, 2023. The project features Bailey as the first-ever Black Ariel.