Advertisement

Halle Bailey spills surprising The Little Mermaid secrets amid criticism after splashy premiere

Halle Bailey took to social media over the weekend to share a glimpse into the making of Disney's live action The Little Mermaid, which finally hit theaters on Friday, May 26.

The 23-year-old shared several photos and videos from the set during the movie's filming, revealing just how much work went into the $250 million production.

Her clips showed the wire work that preceded the scenes for the song "Under the Sea," plus the stressful expectations that went into filming "Part of Your World."

She also added photographs of her cast mates Javier Bardem, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, and those who worked with the props for the underwater CGI scenes.

"Some more bts moments (can't believe this was almost three years ago)," she wrote alongside her post, with fans taking to the comments section to praise her work in the movie.

MORE: The Little Mermaid’s Jonah Hauer-King: everything to know about star

"I took my four-year-old and eight-year-old daughters today and teared up hearing my youngest say 'Mommy, I look like Ariel.' The remake was everything!!!" one adoringly wrote.

Another said: "I was blown away with your performance as Ariel, I wasn't sure what to expect but you are AMAZING," while fellow actress Jurnee Smollett gushed: "Beyond proud of you little mama. Stunning stunning!!"

The film was released over the four-day Memorial Day weekend in the United States and other parts of the world and has already had a strong start at the box office, thanks in large part to the buzz surrounding it.

SEE: Disney's new Little Mermaid doll is here and you can order it now on Amazon

The Disney remake grossed over $117 million at the domestic box office in its first four-day weekend while pulling in nearly $70 million internationally, according to IMDb's Box Office Mojo, topping the box office and emerging as the fifth highest Memorial Day opening in history.

View this tweet on Twitter

Despite early skepticism, the film also proved to be a generally positive critical success, pulling in a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting an overall positive take.

Halle, in particular, received immense praise for her performance as the titular mermaid Ariel, with Variety's Peter Debruge citing her as "all the reason that any audience should need to justify Disney revisiting this classic."

RELATED: The new Little Mermaid books you're going to want to shop ASAP

Other aspects receiving positive mentions are Halle and Jonah's chemistry, Melissa McCarthy's performance as Ursula, and the beloved musical sequences for "Under the Sea" and "Part of Your World."

Halle Bailey and Jodi Benson attend the World Premiere of Disney's live-action feature "The Little Mermaid" at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on May 08, 2023
Halle Bailey and Jodi Benson attend the World Premiere of Disney's live-action feature "The Little Mermaid" at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on May 08, 2023

However, the film has also attracted criticism for its new musical additions, specifically the song "Scuttlebutt" for Awkwafina's vocals and Lin-Manuel Miranda's songwriting.

British singer and actress Paloma Faith also shared a controversial message after the film's release, criticizing the storyline.

MORE: Remember little Jack from Room? The Little Mermaid star looks so different now!

"As a mother of girls I don't want my kids to think it's ok to give up your entire voice and your powers to love a man," she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post that Metro included.

Paloma Faith performing in pink dress
Paloma Faith performing in pink dress

"Not what I want to be teaching next gen women at all." Her message was met with backlash, with many questioning why this didn't come up as a qualm with the original 1989 film itself, which she'd previously expressed she was a fan of.

Read more HELLO! US stories here

Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.