Halle Bailey’s red hair extensions in ‘Little Mermaid’ cost $150K
The live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” has generated buzz since it was first announced, and one aspect of the movie that has caught people’s attention is Halle Bailey’s iconic red hair. According to hair department head Camille Friend, recreating Princess Ariel’s famous hair cost a whopping six figures.
Friend, who was previously nominated for an Oscar for her work on “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” knew that a wig wasn’t going to work for Bailey’s character in “The Little Mermaid.” Bailey’s locs are down to her waist, over 24 inches, and putting her in a wig was going to look unrealistic.
“I’m not guesstimating, but 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,” she told Variety.
Instead, Friend changed the color by taking three shades of custom-colored red hair and wrapping it around the locs, fusing it with Keratin. She then added loose pieces of hair so the hair would seemingly float in underwater scenes.
Despite the high price tag and laborious process, fans on social media took issue with the shade not being quite red enough for Ariel.
“Not this clown ass Ronald McDonald shade. Y’all have NO taste,” an indignant fan tweeted in response.
Regardless of the controversy over her hair color, “The Little Mermaid” made a splash at the box office on opening night, raking in more than $48 million.
FAQs:
Q: How long are Halle Bailey’s locs?
A: Halle Bailey’s locs are down to her waist, over 24 inches.
Q: Why didn’t they use a wig for Bailey’s character in “The Little Mermaid”?
A: Hair department head Camille Friend knew that a wig wasn’t going to work for Bailey’s character in “The Little Mermaid”. Putting Bailey in a wig was going to look unrealistic.
Q: How did they create Bailey’s iconic red hair?
A: Friend changed the color by taking three shades of custom-colored red hair and wrapping it around the locs, fusing it with Keratin. She then added loose pieces of hair so the hair would seemingly float in underwater scenes.
Q: How much did it cost to create Bailey’s red hair?
A: According to Friend, recreating Princess Ariel’s famous red hair cost at least $150,000.
Cost of Halle Bailey’s Red Hair Extensions in ‘Little Mermaid’ Totals $150K.
Halle Bailey’s iconic red hair in Disney’s live-action “Little Mermaid” movie cost a whopping six figures to create. Hair department head and Oscar nominee Camille Friend, who previously worked on “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” wanted to keep Bailey’s long locs natural and healthy while recreating Princess Ariel’s famous red hair. Friend explained that a wig was not an option, stating, “Halle’s locs are down to her waist, over 24 inches. And putting her in a wig was going to look crazy.” Instead, Friend changed the color by taking three shades of custom-colored red hair and wrapping it around the locs, fusing it with Keratin. She then added loose pieces of hair so the hair would seemingly float in underwater scenes. Despite the high price tag and laborious process, fans on social media criticized the shade of red not being quite vibrant enough for Ariel. Nevertheless, the “Little Mermaid” movie raked in more than $48 million on opening night and made a splash at the box office, despite controversy over Halle’s hair color and racist messages she received about her casting.