Halle Bailey's son recognizes her as Ariel in 'The Little Mermaid' in heartwarming video

She also shared, "When it came to studying the role and trying to prepare for her, I took inspiration from Ariel’s song 'Part of Your World.' When you listen to the lyrics, it’s a desperate cry for help. She’s voicing everything she wants for herself and her future. I found out everything I needed to know about who she was as a person by dissecting the lyrics and exploring what those things mean and why they’re so important to her."

The rest of the cast included Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy. 

Jodi Benson, who was the voice of the original Ariel and had a special cameo appearance in the 2023 film, "welcomed" Bailey "into the mermaid world."

Jodi Benson is an incredible human being. She’s such a genuine spirit – so kind and warm. I was so pleased to meet her because, well, she’s iconic. Her version of Ariel is the one that lives in all of our hearts. She is Ariel. I was just so happy to receive the baton pass from her – and to know we’re both from Atlanta, Georgia, we’re both Southern girls. We both have a very strong faith. 

The Little Mermaid is streaming on Disney+.