The Secret Behind the Scenes of 'THE LITTLE MERMAID' Live-Action, From Casting Selection to Spectacular Visual Effects!

Halle Bailey, a member of the R&B group named Chloe x Halle, has been chosen to portray Ariel. The director, Rob Marshall, said that Halle is truly unique, KLovers. As reported by Glamour Magazine, Halle is said to have an extraordinary voice quality and possesses the spirit, heart, and youthful energy that are perfect for portraying the iconic character, Ariel.

In an interview with IMDb, Rob Marshall recounted seeing Chloe x Halle's performance at the GRAMMY AWARDS. Rob was immediately shocked and captivated by Halle's soft voice, KLovers. Shortly after, Rob Marshall called Halle Bailey to audition. During the audition, Halle Bailey sang the iconic song from THE LITTLE MERMAID, Part Of Your World, and moved Rob to tears with her voice.

Not a member of One Direction, Harry Styles, but Jonah Hauer-King was recruited to become Prince Eric. Reported by W Magazine, Jonah Hauer-King underwent a quite long audition, which was seven months. Besides acting, Jonah Hauer-King can also sing, KLovers. He sent recordings of his singing and recordings of him acting as Prince Eric with various accents. Wow, his effort is no joke!

KLovers who have watched THE LITTLE MERMAID must know one of the iconic scenes done by Halle, which is Ariel's hair flip moment! Turns out, Halle revealed that this scene was very difficult to do. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Halle said that shooting the scene was indeed fun. However, it was very challenging considering that Halle's hair is very heavy when wet.

Not only acting and singing skills are relied upon when portraying Ariel, KLovers. Halle Bailey even had to undergo weightlifting training, especially to strengthen her neck. Sana Shirvani, Halle's weightlifting coach, uploaded a compilation of Halle's training videos on her Instagram account. She said that Halle is very committed during training. Apparently, not only Jonah Hauer-King made extra effort for his role in THE LITTLE MERMAID! 

Did you know, KLovers? Apparently, Javier Bardem, who plays King Triton, rarely uses his merman tail during filming. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said that he often wears pants while shooting. His merman tail is only used to visualize depth and distance when he is acting on location.

In an interview with BuzzFeed Australia, Halle Bailey said that when she was shooting scenes with Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle, the film crew would prepare tennis balls or small objects to help Halle with her acting.

Lastly, a fact about how the Under the Sea scene was done. As reported by indieWire, this scene was done with a blue screen and required visual effects (VFX). This scene also involved many people, KLovers. There were many dancers who had to wear blue suits so they could be edited as sea creatures. In addition, Rob Marshall said to IndieWire that the Under the Sea scene was the most challenging scene.