Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey goes unnoticed at movie screening

The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey has revealed she went to a screening of the new live-action movie without being recognised by fans.

Halle recently shared a TikTok video of her going incognito at a movie theatre during the Disney film’s opening weekend. The actress donned a mask and sunglasses as part of her disguise, and as she passed by fans in the background, no one noticed it was her.

“Can’t believe the little mermaid is the #1 movie in the world you guys!! went to the theatre to go see it last night,” Halle wrote in the caption, adding a number of heart and smiley face emojis.

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Fans were quick to react to Halle’s sneaky act in the video’s comments section.

“Imagine sitting next to THE little mermaid while watching the little mermaid,” wrote one follower. Another added: “Imagine taking a selfie of the little mermaid and THE little mermaid passes right by you!!!”

As of this writing, The Little Mermaid is the number-one film at the global box office. According to Deadline, the movie took in $95.4 million during the three-day opening weekend in the States and an additional $68.3 million at the international box office, totalling $163.8 million for its global debut.

The film is performing well critically, too. Reviews are predominantly positive, and the film bosts a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. There’s also already demand for a Little Mermaid 2.

Digital Spy‘s Iona Rowan awarded the live-action retelling 4 stars, writing: “The Little Mermaid retains the heart and spirit of the animated classic, while adding new elements that offer a fresh perspective on familiar events.

“Thanks in large part to Bailey’s outstanding performance, this adaptation has the potential to captivate a new generation of Disney fans.”

The Little Mermaid live-action movie opens on May 26 in the UK and the US. The animated movie is streaming on Disney+.

Watch The Little Mermaid (1989) on Disney+

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Acting Deputy News Editor, Digital Spy

Emily is an experienced entertainment writer and editor, reporting on all things TV, film, soaps and showbiz. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, with a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex, Emily has previously worked at Hello magazine, BBC South News and GoodtoKnow. She joined Digital Spy as Acting Deputy News Editor in May 2023.

A small and big-screen obsessive – with subscriptions to every TV and film service under the sun – Emily knows her movie stars from soap stars, and is always clued up on the latest reality show dumping, just-dropped trailer or off-screen spat. She’s interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, with highlights including The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett and GMB‘s Kate Garraway (who “loved” her trousers).

Emily counts Sharon Horgan and Julia Davis as her TV heroes, and is a loyal Wes Anderson fan.