You Will NOT Believe How Much Halle Bailey’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Hair Cost!

When it comes to the new live-action The Little Mermaid, Disney clearly spared no expense!

On May 26, 2023, Disney’s new adaptation of The Little Mermaid made a big splash when it swam into theatres. The movie has been in the works for years and is one of Disney’s most ambitious and expensive film projects ever made. As the reviews begin to flood in, fans are notably dazzled by the performance of Halle Bailey, who plays the lead role of Princess Ariel.

Halle clearly has proven she has the talents to carry a major film like The Little Mermaid; fans and critics alike and agreeing that her portrayal of Ariel is magnificent. In addition to her talent, the public has also loved the new outfits that Ariel wears in the film. However, creating the new look for Ariel did not come cheap, and fans were shocked when the prices of her costumes were revealed.

Credit: Disney

No Expense Too High for ‘The Little Mermaid’

Creating a film of this caliber and size is not easy or inexpensive. The new film is estimated to cost around $250 million to produce, which is comparable to other Disney live-action films such as The Lion King. One of the reasons that it cost this much was because of all the CGI work for the underwater scenes. Characters like Sebastian, Flounder, and Ursula also cost a lot of money to bring to life.

For Ariel, the costume team of The Little Mermaid was tasked with creating a stunning and visionary new look for the mermaid princess. The hair department was also tasked with creating Ariel’s trademark red hair for the film. Camille Friend, the hair department hear for the film, created a gorgeous look for Halle Bailey.

Credit: Disney

Creating the Perfect Hair for Halle

Camille Friend knew that she did not want to put Halle in a wig or cut her natural hair. Instead, she wrapped 30-inch custom-colored hair expansions over her natural locks. Over the process of filming the movie, Friend estimated that they 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.”

Disney

In the end, the money was well spent. Halle’s hair looked absolutely stunning and truly is an iconic part of the new film.