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Lin Manuel Miranda couldn’t be more excited over “The Little Mermaid.” The live-action adaptation of the Disney classic will be released next year, starring a talented cast led by Halle Bailey.
In conversation with Variety, Miranda talked about how great the movie is and praised Bailey’s performance, all the while calling out the racist trolls that have targeted her after she was cast as Ariel.
Miranda spoke with the publication via Zoom, from San Diego, where he was speaking at L’Attitude, a conference that highlights Latino small businesses. “I’m not interested in giving them any oxygen because I know the lives that are going to be changed. Halle is perfect for the part,” said Miranda when asked about the trolls that have popped up upon the release of the film’s teaser. “She is going to blow them away. If that’s the thing that makes you mad, then stay mad. But examine your choices,” he said of Bailey.
Halle Bailey is an actress and singer from the band Chloe x Halle, which has had songs featured in films like “A Wrinkle in Time.” Her rendition of “Part of Your World” plays in the teaser trailer of the film, which has been much discussed online, with fans excited over her work.
At L’Attitude, Miranda discussed the Drama Book Shop, an old bookstore he bought with some of his theater collaborators in order to ensure its longevity. He shared his special connection with the building, sharing that he wrote “In The Heights,” his first musical, in the store’s basement. “The store’s success is inextricably tied to the health of the theater community,” said Miranda. “When Broadway has a good week, we have a good week. When the Omicron wave shuts down shows and cancels performances, we have a bad week. When theater-goers come to New York to see a show, they stop at the Drama Book Shop. That’s been kind of an amazing revelation to me.”
Miranda is one of the most successful people working in Hollywood today. His work extends beyond his roots in musical theater, now including film credits and composing the music of a variety of successful Disney films.