The 2023 remake of 1989’s Disney animated classic The Little Mermaid premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on May 8, welcoming stars Halle Bailey, Jacob Tremblay, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy and more to the blue carpet.
On April 30, a private test screening in New York City garnered resoundingly positive reviews from the likes of Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Ben Platt, and many others. The celebrities in attendance particularly praised the musical numbers, which managed to hold a flame to the original soundtrack, thanks to composer Alan Menken and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda.
There have been decidedly mixed reactions across the internet, as The Little Mermaid teasers and promotional material lands with some audience members and misses the mark with others. Luckily, for anyone left wondering what Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel from the 1989 animated movie, thinks of the remake’s stand-in, we’re pleased to deliver some good news. Let’s not pretend that we weren’t hesitant to let go of Jodi’s stellar voice acting to welcome a new generation of princesses, but Bailey gave the whole world a pleasant surprise.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere in Los Angeles, Benson was quizzed on whether she offered advice to Bailey during the transformation process and filling the boots (or fins) of a Disney princess. Naturally, Benson remained ever humble, never once comparing herself to Bailey and instead insisting that the latter didn’t need any advice.
“She’s brilliant. I did get to meet her a few times and chat with her, and just to tell her how proud I was of her. But I love that she has a purity of heart and a pure spirit. You can see that vulnerability and that childlike… and that bravery and courage coming through.”
We’ll have to wait a few more weeks to give our own verdict on The Little Mermaid, as well as Bailey’s performance, but Disney die-hards can take Benson’s words as gospel and assume that ‘out with the old and in with the new’ isn’t always such a crime.
The Little Mermaid will be part of our world when it swims into theaters on May 26, 2023.