The Little Mermaid: Halle Bailey's red hair as Ariel cost a whopping $150K; here’s why

The Little Mermaid 2023 live-action movie version is much talked about. The film is releasing on May 26, 2023, in theatres, and it is being spoken about not only for its making but also for the actor who is playing the main protagonist Ariel aka The Little Mermaid – Halle Bailey.

It is for the first time in history that a black actor is playing Ariel in any live-action or animation screen production. But that came with its challenges, including the hair and makeup for Halle Bailey to look like a version of the mermaid Ariel. Here’s what we know.

The hair department head on the sets of the film The Little Mermaid has now revealed how much it cost to create Halle Bailey's red hair for her character of Ariel.

How much did it cost to make Halle Bailey's red hair for The Little Mermaid?

Hairstylist Camille Friend, the head of the film's hair department, revealed the process of making sure Halle’s hair as Ariel looked just right, saying that it was a mix of different shades of red rather than the bright red of Ariel in the animated version.

This is how much it cost to make it – an estimated US$150,000! The physical transformation of Halle did take some time, effort, and money to help her become the character of Ariel.

According to Variety, Halle Bailey wished to stay true to her Black heritage and show her natural hair in the movie. So, hair extensions were used rather than a wig. Friend said it took 12-14 hours to finish Halle's hair.

Friend revealed that she went to meet with Halle’s family, her mother, to understand who she was and why the natural hair element was important for her for the film. After meeting them, she decided not to cut Halle’s hair or give her a wig, but to simply change the color without changing her internal hair structure. “Her structure and her hair are her," she said about Halle.

Why did Halle Bailey’s Ariel hair cost so much?

"It’s three shades of red,” revealed the hairstylist, and “we probably spent at least $150,000 because we had to redo it and take it out. You couldn’t use it and we’d have to start again. It was a process.”

FAQs

Q1:When is The Little Mermaid releasing?
May 26, 2023, in theatres.

Q2:Who plays The Little Mermaid?
Halle Bailey plays Ariel aka The Little Mermaid.