[W: #303] Get your first look at Halle Bailey as (black) Ariel in The Little Mermaid

[Ahlevah]

Okay, I did enjoy Will Smith's version of Genie in the live-action remake of Aladdin. But why does Hollywood have this obsession with casting black leads and supporting actors in roles in which the original content did not include them? To promote a "community"? Why? What's wrong with creating original content? Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas that it has to keep recycling old ones even as it attempts to use the power of media to mold societal attitudes in its image? I mean, black Hobbits? Really? How did they get so tan living underground for millions of years and then magically disappear 1,000 years after The Rings of Power? Were these Hobbits like the Neandethal version of Earthly humanoids who then became extinct because, well, they just did? What's wrong with staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of the story of "Middle-earthers" as Peter Jackson did in his masterpiece trilogy? If you choose not to, at least have the balls to let people comment on your website without suspending reviews because your billion dollar baby is getting drubbed by angry Lord of the Rings nerds who are really into things like lore. I guess that, unlike the $90 million HBO Max black Batgirl movie, that was just a little too much scratch to pull the plug and chalk it up to "a change in corporate strategy."

And then there's Disney's new, live-action rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's version of the mermaid story. Okay, Halle Bailey has a beautiful voice. So maybe then Danes should toss the existing Little Mermaid statue into Asaa Harbor and erect a black version instead. That would undoubtedly solve their legal problem with the Copenhagen mermaid. Then there's the black King Artur. It's hard for me to envision a black Celtic Briton taking on the Saxons in 6th Century Britain. It's sort of like depicting Shaka Zulu as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede. It just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, Black Panther, John Shaft. Those are awesome. But to each his own.

'Rings Of Power' Is Getting Review Bombed So Hard Amazon Suspended Reviews Entirely

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is getting slammed essentially everywhere that accepts fan reviews: On Rotten Tomatoes, while its critics score is 84%, it has a 36% audience score.

www.forbes.com

Halle Bailey Talks About Racist Backlash After Her Little Mermaid Casting, And How Her Family Supported Her

The new Little Mermaid speaks out on the hate she has dealt with since being cast in the role.

www.cinemablend.com

Behind the Cancellation of ‘Batgirl’

The HBO Max film fell victim to a change in corporate strategy.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Felis Leo]

Okay, I did enjoy Will Smith's version of Genie in the live-action remake of Aladdin. But why does Hollywood have this obsession with casting black leads and supporting actors in roles in which the original content did not include them? To promote a "community"? Why? What's wrong with creating original content? Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas that it has to keep recycling old ones even as it attempts to use the power of media to mold societal attitudes in its image? I mean, black Hobbits? Really? How did they get so tan living underground for millions of years and then magically disappear 1,000 years after The Rings of Power? Were these Hobbits like the Neandethal version of Earthly humanoids who then became extinct because, well, they just did? What's wrong with staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of the story of "Middle-earthers" as Peter Jackson did in his masterpiece trilogy? If you choose not to, at least have the balls to let people comment on your website without suspending reviews because your billion dollar baby is getting a new asshole torn out of it. I guess that, unlike the $90 million HBO Max black Batgirl movie, that was just a little too much scratch to pull the plug and chalk it up to "a change in corporate strategy."

And then there's Disney's new, live-action rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's version of the mermaid story. Okay, Halle Bailey has a beautiful voice. So maybe then Danes should toss the existing Little Mermaid statue into Asaa Harbor and erect a black version instead. That would undoubtedly solve their legal problem with the Copenhagen mermaid. Then there's the black King Artur. It's hard for me to envision a black Celtic Briton taking on the Saxons in 6th Century Britain. It's sort of like depicting Shaka Zulu as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede. It just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, Black Panther, John Shaft. Those are awesome. But to each his own.

'Rings Of Power' Is Getting Review Bombed So Hard Amazon Suspended Reviews Entirely

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is getting slammed essentially everywhere that accepts fan reviews: On Rotten Tomatoes, while its critics score is 84%, it has a 36% audience score.

www.forbes.com

Halle Bailey Talks About Racist Backlash After Her Little Mermaid Casting, And How Her Family Supported Her

The new Little Mermaid speaks out on the hate she has dealt with since being cast in the role.

www.cinemablend.com

Behind the Cancellation of ‘Batgirl’

The HBO Max film fell victim to a change in corporate strategy.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

I have not watched a single live-action adaptation of Disney films. I will not start with this one. And I agree. If you want more diversity and inclusion, I think instead of simply doing a change in racial casting, just create new good content that has a more diverse cast. It is not like it is hard. Disney has done so with other films and shows. Owl House was pretty damn diverse. I loved watching that one with my wife and son.

 

[j brown's body]

Demographics are changing. Hopefully, you'll get used to it because frankly, I really don't think it matters.

 

[ecofarm]

Historically, 99% of roles have been white.

"Sorry, black people, no jobs for you. They gotta make new stuff or you're out of luck. We wanna hire black people, we really do, but all the characters are white so... white people, front of the line."

You people, and I mean whites, do understand the stage is set against them, right? Because, like, generations of oppression and the ramifications of that and such, right? And you're just using that, the results of an unfair and unjust system, against minorities today by denying them roles based on race. Racists should see what they're doing.

"Sorry, only room for white people. Our ancestors made it that way, not our fault."

 

[Bodi]

Cliff Curtis has played Mexicans and Arabs many times... why is a Maori stealing the jobs of those other minorities?

 

[Redress]

Republicans: why do black people not vote for us?
Also republicans: Oh my god, they cast a black person in a movie!

 

[Ahlevah]

"Sorry, black people, no jobs for you. They gotta make new stuff or you're out of luck. We wanna hire black people, we really do, but all the characters are white so... white people, front of the line."

Why do all of the characters have to be white? Do you think casting Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins hoodwinked black people out of a job? It's clear that a well-written story with credible characters and fast-paced action will attract a broad audience. Badass is badass.

Wesley Snipes Has Something To Say About The Latest Blade News - Looper

Marvel recently dropped a bombshell when it announced that the Blade franchise is getting a reboot, and that Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali was taking the reins as the new Eric Brooks. Now, after what has felt like an eon of silence, original Blade actor Wesley Snipes has commented on the news.

www.looper.com

 

[ecofarm]

Why do all of the characters have to be white? Do you think casting Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins hoodwinked black people out of a job? It's clear that a well-written story with credible characters and fast-paced action will attract a broad audience. Badass is badass.

In "white people vs reality" (the defense of white Santa), clear precedent was set: Imaginary white people cannot be played by black people. Flying on a sled or breathing underwater is irrelevant.

 

[Integrityrespec]

I have not watched a single live-action adaptation of Disney films. I will not start with this one. And I agree. If you want more diversity and inclusion, I think instead of simply doing a change in racial casting, just create new good content that has a more diverse cast. It is not like it is hard. Disney has done so with other films and shows. Owl House was pretty damn diverse. I loved watching that one with my wife and son.

I'm just waiting on a white MLK.

 

[ecofarm]

I'm just waiting on a white MLK.

Isn't that Donald Trump?

 

[Hamish Howl]

Okay, I did enjoy Will Smith's version of Genie in the live-action remake of Aladdin. But why does Hollywood have this obsession with casting black leads and supporting actors in roles in which the original content did not include them? To promote a "community"? Why? What's wrong with creating original content? Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas that it has to keep recycling old ones even as it attempts to use the power of media to mold societal attitudes in its image? I mean, black Hobbits? Really? How did they get so tan living underground for millions of years and then magically disappear 1,000 years after The Rings of Power? Were these Hobbits like the Neandethal version of Earthly humanoids who then became extinct because, well, they just did? What's wrong with staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of the story of "Middle-earthers" as Peter Jackson did in his masterpiece trilogy? If you choose not to, at least have the balls to let people comment on your website without suspending reviews because your billion dollar baby is getting drubbed by angry Lord of the Rings nerds who are really into things like lore. I guess that, unlike the $90 million HBO Max black Batgirl movie, that was just a little too much scratch to pull the plug and chalk it up to "a change in corporate strategy."

And then there's Disney's new, live-action rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's version of the mermaid story. Okay, Halle Bailey has a beautiful voice. So maybe then Danes should toss the existing Little Mermaid statue into Asaa Harbor and erect a black version instead. That would undoubtedly solve their legal problem with the Copenhagen mermaid. Then there's the black King Artur. It's hard for me to envision a black Celtic Briton taking on the Saxons in 6th Century Britain. It's sort of like depicting Shaka Zulu as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede. It just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, Black Panther, John Shaft. Those are awesome. But to each his own.

'Rings Of Power' Is Getting Review Bombed So Hard Amazon Suspended Reviews Entirely

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is getting slammed essentially everywhere that accepts fan reviews: On Rotten Tomatoes, while its critics score is 84%, it has a 36% audience score.

www.forbes.com

Halle Bailey Talks About Racist Backlash After Her Little Mermaid Casting, And How Her Family Supported Her

The new Little Mermaid speaks out on the hate she has dealt with since being cast in the role.

www.cinemablend.com

Behind the Cancellation of ‘Batgirl’

The HBO Max film fell victim to a change in corporate strategy.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Who gives a ****?

Can't you just enjoy a movie without obsessing over race?

 

[Bodi]

Okay, I did enjoy Will Smith's version of Genie in the live-action remake of Aladdin. But why does Hollywood have this obsession with casting black leads and supporting actors in roles in which the original content did not include them? To promote a "community"? Why? What's wrong with creating original content? Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas that it has to keep recycling old ones even as it attempts to use the power of media to mold societal attitudes in its image? I mean, black Hobbits? Really? How did they get so tan living underground for millions of years and then magically disappear 1,000 years after The Rings of Power? Were these Hobbits like the Neandethal version of Earthly humanoids who then became extinct because, well, they just did? What's wrong with staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of the story of "Middle-earthers" as Peter Jackson did in his masterpiece trilogy? If you choose not to, at least have the balls to let people comment on your website without suspending reviews because your billion dollar baby is getting drubbed by angry Lord of the Rings nerds who are really into things like lore. I guess that, unlike the $90 million HBO Max black Batgirl movie, that was just a little too much scratch to pull the plug and chalk it up to "a change in corporate strategy."

And then there's Disney's new, live-action rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's version of the mermaid story. Okay, Halle Bailey has a beautiful voice. So maybe then Danes should toss the existing Little Mermaid statue into Asaa Harbor and erect a black version instead. That would undoubtedly solve their legal problem with the Copenhagen mermaid. Then there's the black King Artur. It's hard for me to envision a black Celtic Briton taking on the Saxons in 6th Century Britain. It's sort of like depicting Shaka Zulu as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede. It just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, Black Panther, John Shaft. Those are awesome. But to each his own.

'Rings Of Power' Is Getting Review Bombed So Hard Amazon Suspended Reviews Entirely

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is getting slammed essentially everywhere that accepts fan reviews: On Rotten Tomatoes, while its critics score is 84%, it has a 36% audience score.

www.forbes.com

Halle Bailey Talks About Racist Backlash After Her Little Mermaid Casting, And How Her Family Supported Her

The new Little Mermaid speaks out on the hate she has dealt with since being cast in the role.

www.cinemablend.com

Behind the Cancellation of ‘Batgirl’

The HBO Max film fell victim to a change in corporate strategy.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

You know what I am sick of? Aussies, Kiwis and British actors stealing roles, many times real life ones, of Americans.

Almost every other guy in Black Hawk Down was a foreigner.

Eric Bana
Jason Isaacs
Tom Hardy
Orlando Bloom
Ewan McGregor
Nilolaj Coster-Waldau
Ewen Bremner
Ioan Gruffudd
Hugh Dancy
Kim Coates

 

[ecofarm]

You know what I am sick of? Aussies, Kiwis and British actors stealing roles, many times real life ones, of Americans.

Almost every other guy in Black Hawk Down was a foreigner.

Eric Bana
Jason Isaacs
Tom Hardy
Orlando Bloom
Ewan McGregor
Nilolaj Coster-Waldau
Ewen Bremner
Ioan Gruffudd
Hugh Dancy
Kim Coates

If we look at the actual names, I bet there's a black person.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Republicans: why do black people not vote for us?
Also republicans: Oh my god, they cast a black person in a movie!

Where in this thread has anyone identified as a "Republican," or did I miss something?

Now to the actual point of the thread.

I recall when I was a kid wondering why white actors played in so many "non-white" roles. Whether it was Native Americans in all the cowboy movies, Mexicans in movies like Viva Zapata, or Pancho Villa, Egyptians like in Cleopatra (although I later learned she may have been of Greek descent), etc. I could speculate but I prefer to address the OP point.

IMO the OP is correct. My position is that you don't "make things even" by doing the same things you oppose. As the OP states, it would be like "reimagining" Shaka Zulu and the entire tribe with "white" actors. Or any other "cultural appropriation" change.

What you can do IMO is start telling more stories and create content that reflects other cultures using the right actors. That would serve many purposes, not the least of which would be to expose our society to diverse views and cultural norms.

 

[Ouroboros]

Okay, I did enjoy Will Smith's version of Genie in the live-action remake of Aladdin. But why does Hollywood have this obsession with casting black leads and supporting actors in roles in which the original content did not include them? To promote a "community"? Why? What's wrong with creating original content? Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas that it has to keep recycling old ones even as it attempts to use the power of media to mold societal attitudes in its image? I mean, black Hobbits? Really? How did they get so tan living underground for millions of years and then magically disappear 1,000 years after The Rings of Power? Were these Hobbits like the Neandethal version of Earthly humanoids who then became extinct because, well, they just did? What's wrong with staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of the story of "Middle-earthers" as Peter Jackson did in his masterpiece trilogy? If you choose not to, at least have the balls to let people comment on your website without suspending reviews because your billion dollar baby is getting drubbed by angry Lord of the Rings nerds who are really into things like lore. I guess that, unlike the $90 million HBO Max black Batgirl movie, that was just a little too much scratch to pull the plug and chalk it up to "a change in corporate strategy."

And then there's Disney's new, live-action rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's version of the mermaid story. Okay, Halle Bailey has a beautiful voice. So maybe then Danes should toss the existing Little Mermaid statue into Asaa Harbor and erect a black version instead. That would undoubtedly solve their legal problem with the Copenhagen mermaid. Then there's the black King Artur. It's hard for me to envision a black Celtic Briton taking on the Saxons in 6th Century Britain. It's sort of like depicting Shaka Zulu as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede. It just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, Black Panther, John Shaft. Those are awesome. But to each his own.

'Rings Of Power' Is Getting Review Bombed So Hard Amazon Suspended Reviews Entirely

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is getting slammed essentially everywhere that accepts fan reviews: On Rotten Tomatoes, while its critics score is 84%, it has a 36% audience score.

www.forbes.com

Halle Bailey Talks About Racist Backlash After Her Little Mermaid Casting, And How Her Family Supported Her

The new Little Mermaid speaks out on the hate she has dealt with since being cast in the role.

www.cinemablend.com

Behind the Cancellation of ‘Batgirl’

The HBO Max film fell victim to a change in corporate strategy.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

I haven’t heard anything about a Black King Arthur. Could you provide either a link to or some details about this project?

 

[AGENT J]

Okay, I did enjoy Will Smith's version of Genie in the live-action remake of Aladdin. But why does Hollywood have this obsession with casting black leads and supporting actors in roles in which the original content did not include them? To promote a "community"? Why? What's wrong with creating original content? Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas that it has to keep recycling old ones even as it attempts to use the power of media to mold societal attitudes in its image? I mean, black Hobbits? Really? How did they get so tan living underground for millions of years and then magically disappear 1,000 years after The Rings of Power? Were these Hobbits like the Neandethal version of Earthly humanoids who then became extinct because, well, they just did? What's wrong with staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of the story of "Middle-earthers" as Peter Jackson did in his masterpiece trilogy? If you choose not to, at least have the balls to let people comment on your website without suspending reviews because your billion dollar baby is getting drubbed by angry Lord of the Rings nerds who are really into things like lore. I guess that, unlike the $90 million HBO Max black Batgirl movie, that was just a little too much scratch to pull the plug and chalk it up to "a change in corporate strategy."

And then there's Disney's new, live-action rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's version of the mermaid story. Okay, Halle Bailey has a beautiful voice. So maybe then Danes should toss the existing Little Mermaid statue into Asaa Harbor and erect a black version instead. That would undoubtedly solve their legal problem with the Copenhagen mermaid. Then there's the black King Artur. It's hard for me to envision a black Celtic Briton taking on the Saxons in 6th Century Britain. It's sort of like depicting Shaka Zulu as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede. It just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, Black Panther, John Shaft. Those are awesome. But to each his own.

uhm this is such a none issue for me . .well . . its FANTASY lol
i cant imagine EVER spending any time thinking about it and caring, it seems stupid to question "black" and ignore the idea that mermaids hobbits batgirl etc dont actually exist
so anybdoy crying over that stuff is a nutter IMO LMAO

now a black king Arthur seems problematic because like you said, King author is supposed to be a historic Celtic Briton but again is the story a historic account or is it an over-the-top fantasy tale?
on the history channel, though king author hasnt been confirmed as real, he should not be black any more than Napoleon should be black
but in an action picture or cartoon, i dont really care. Kinda like how the common picture of Jesus in american bibles, pictures and in churches isnt anywhere near accurate.

 

[Manc Skipper]

Halle Berry is BLACK??

 

[Felis Leo]

Halle Berry is BLACK??

Pssst...Halley Bailey.

 

[Manc Skipper]

Pssst...Halley Bailey.

HER TOO?

 

[StillBallin75]

"Unlike you snowflakes i am not so easily triggered"

WHY BLACK GIRL PLAY ARIEL WOKENESS RUN AMOK I WANT THE BLACK PRESENCE IN MY LIFE TO BE LIMITED TO MY TWO BLACK ACQUAINTANCES ONLY PLZ

 

[Integrityrespec]

Isn't that Donald Trump?

No of course not! DJT is much too tall to play the part.

 

[Hamish Howl]

"Unlike you snowflakes i am not so easily triggered"

WHY BLACK GIRL PLAY ARIEL WOKENESS RUN AMOK I WANT THE BLACK PRESENCE IN MY LIFE TO BE LIMITED TO MY TWO BLACK ACQUAINTANCES ONLY PLZ

 

[TheDoctorWasIn]

Okay, I did enjoy Will Smith's version of Genie in the live-action remake of Aladdin. But why does Hollywood have this obsession with casting black leads and supporting actors in roles in which the original content did not include them? To promote a "community"? Why? What's wrong with creating original content? Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas that it has to keep recycling old ones even as it attempts to use the power of media to mold societal attitudes in its image? I mean, black Hobbits? Really? How did they get so tan living underground for millions of years and then magically disappear 1,000 years after The Rings of Power? Were these Hobbits like the Neandethal version of Earthly humanoids who then became extinct because, well, they just did? What's wrong with staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of the story of "Middle-earthers" as Peter Jackson did in his masterpiece trilogy? If you choose not to, at least have the balls to let people comment on your website without suspending reviews because your billion dollar baby is getting drubbed by angry Lord of the Rings nerds who are really into things like lore. I guess that, unlike the $90 million HBO Max black Batgirl movie, that was just a little too much scratch to pull the plug and chalk it up to "a change in corporate strategy."

So?

Who cares? Why does this matter so deeply to you?

It's not because of what the creator wanted, or any sort of nerd purity - that much is clear.

 

[911Sparky]

Where in this thread has anyone identified as a "Republican," or did I miss something?

Now to the actual point of the thread.

I recall when I was a kid wondering why white actors played in so many "non-white" roles. Whether it was Native Americans in all the cowboy movies, Mexicans in movies like Viva Zapata, or Pancho Villa, Egyptians like in Cleopatra (although I later learned she may have been of Greek descent), etc. I could speculate but I prefer to address the OP point.

IMO the OP is correct. My position is that you don't "make things even" by doing the same things you oppose. As the OP states, it would be like "reimagining" Shaka Zulu and the entire tribe with "white" actors. Or any other "cultural appropriation" change.

What you can do IMO is start telling more stories and create content that reflects other cultures using the right actors. That would serve many purposes, not the least of which would be to expose our society to diverse views and cultural norms.

What color was the "real" Ariel?

 

[Gateman_Wen]

Okay, I did enjoy Will Smith's version of Genie in the live-action remake of Aladdin. But why does Hollywood have this obsession with casting black leads and supporting actors in roles in which the original content did not include them? To promote a "community"? Why? What's wrong with creating original content? Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas that it has to keep recycling old ones even as it attempts to use the power of media to mold societal attitudes in its image? I mean, black Hobbits? Really? How did they get so tan living underground for millions of years and then magically disappear 1,000 years after The Rings of Power? Were these Hobbits like the Neandethal version of Earthly humanoids who then became extinct because, well, they just did? What's wrong with staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of the story of "Middle-earthers" as Peter Jackson did in his masterpiece trilogy? If you choose not to, at least have the balls to let people comment on your website without suspending reviews because your billion dollar baby is getting drubbed by angry Lord of the Rings nerds who are really into things like lore. I guess that, unlike the $90 million HBO Max black Batgirl movie, that was just a little too much scratch to pull the plug and chalk it up to "a change in corporate strategy."

And then there's Disney's new, live-action rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's version of the mermaid story. Okay, Halle Bailey has a beautiful voice. So maybe then Danes should toss the existing Little Mermaid statue into Asaa Harbor and erect a black version instead. That would undoubtedly solve their legal problem with the Copenhagen mermaid. Then there's the black King Artur. It's hard for me to envision a black Celtic Briton taking on the Saxons in 6th Century Britain. It's sort of like depicting Shaka Zulu as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swede. It just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, Black Panther, John Shaft. Those are awesome. But to each his own.

'Rings Of Power' Is Getting Review Bombed So Hard Amazon Suspended Reviews Entirely

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is getting slammed essentially everywhere that accepts fan reviews: On Rotten Tomatoes, while its critics score is 84%, it has a 36% audience score.

www.forbes.com

Halle Bailey Talks About Racist Backlash After Her Little Mermaid Casting, And How Her Family Supported Her

The new Little Mermaid speaks out on the hate she has dealt with since being cast in the role.

www.cinemablend.com

Behind the Cancellation of ‘Batgirl’

The HBO Max film fell victim to a change in corporate strategy.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Where does it say mermaids are white?