Rumor has it that Zendaya ~might~ get casted as Ariel in Disney’s live-action version of the 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid. Again, let’s emphasize ~might~ because neither Zendaya nor Disney has commented or confirmed our mermaid dreams quite yet.
But that doesn’t mean we’re not hyped about the idea of Ariel as a woman of color.
In her interview with Maire Claire‘s September issue, Zendaya admitted that, “I always tell my theatrical manager, ‘Anytime it says they’re looking for white girls, send me out. Let me get in the room. Maybe they’ll change their minds.'” This is the kind of rebellious cause we want and need to change the stereotypical movie industry perspective. Zendaya’s Disney background has already set her up for a lead role, but her mindset also resembles Ariel’s, “But who cares? No big deal” attitude.
Either way, we all want to see strong, independent women of color become a part of our worlds. So go ahead and sign Ursula’s contract, Zendaya, because we all want to hear your voice sing about thingamabobs and plenty more.