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Director Rob Marshall said Halle Bailey was the one to play Ariel in the re-imagined film "The Little Mermaid".
UNITED STATES TODAY & # 39; HUI

Halle Bailey is officially approved by the Little Mermaid of the Olympic Games, Jodi Benson.

Benson, who played the role of Ariel in Disney's animated film in 1989, defended singer-actress Bailey on Saturday against racist remarks after the 19-year-old was announced as the star of the upcoming Live adaptation of "Little Mermaid".

"I think the most important thing is to tell the story," Benson told fans at the Florida Supercon pop culture convention. "As a family, we raised our children and for ourselves, not to see anything different on the outside, I think that the spirit of a character is what really matters." what you really bring to the table is their hearts and their minds. "

Halle Bailey was chosen as Ariel in Disney's upcoming live film "The Little Mermaid". (Photo: Disney / Getty)

A lot Fans rejoiced on social networks last week after Bailey 's casting announcement, but others had nasty things to say about Disney' s choice of a new black princess.

Since then, several people and organizations have championed, including the Freeform television channel and the Disney-owned group, Sierra Boggess, originally from the role of Ariel in adapting to Broadway of "The Little Mermaid".

"Alright, I'm fed up, listen again," Boggess tweeted over the weekend. "Bright young women, fed up with swimming," ready to get up … "I hear that it's the cry of ALL little girls, n & # 39; Is not it? "

On Saturday, 57-year-old Benson continued, "Let's be realistic, when I sing" Part of Your World ", if you judge me for the way I look outside, that's what I'm saying. is as if I were really old.This could change the way you interpret the song, but if you close your eyes, you can still hear the spirit of Ariel … I know for Disney that they have the heart of the story.It's really what they're trying to do.They want to communicate with all of us in the audience so that we can fall in love with the movie. "

Director Rob Marshall said in a Disney statement that Bailey was the first to play the role after a "thorough search".

"It was perfectly clear that Halle possessed this rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence and substance – plus a glorious singing voice – all the intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role", said Marshall.

Contribution: Maeve McDermott, Bryan Alexander, United States TODAY & # 39; HUI.

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