Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel in the upcoming live-action Little Mermaid is perfect, according to the stars Grown-ish castmate Yara Shahidi.
E! News caught up with Shahidi at Comic-Con over the weekend, where the actress opened up about the excitement of seeing Bailey land the role.
“I think she couldn’t be more perfect,” Shahidi said. “If you just listen to her voice, she’s an ethereal human. When you look at Halle’s voice and how she maneuvers, she already embodies the character and I can’t wait to see what she brings to it.”
The actress added that the entire Grown-ish cast was thrilled when they heard the news, adding that the cast’s group chat was filled with mermaid emojis and congratulations.
Shahidi had previously shared a congratulatory tweet following the announcement that Bailey had been cast as Ariel.
“Princess Halle, you have expanded the world of powerful princesses in so many ways and I am absolutely so excited for you to bring Ariel to life.”
Still, while most fans were excited about the announcement, there were still a few haters, who Disney’s Freeform quickly put in check with an open letter “to the Poor, Unfortunate Souls.”
The upcoming film, which is currently in pre-production, will mark Bailey’s feature debut.