Disney has released a brand new full-length trailer for the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
Led by Chicago director Rob Marshall, the upcoming musical feature stars multi-hyphenate talent Halle Bailey – of Chloe x Halle fame – as the curious and adventurous mermaid Ariel.
At the start of the epic trailer, Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) and his crew are shown abandoning their vessel as a treacherous storm destroys his ship.
The screen then fades to Ariel rescuing the prince, who is later found on the beach by his kingdom’s army.
As the trailer progresses, a stunning first look at Ariel’s grotto flashes across the screen before King Triton (Javier Bardem) reprimands her for “breaking the rules.”
“A man was drowning. I had to save him,” she exclaims to the sea king.
Melissa McCarthy then appears as the villainous Ursula, who offers Ariel a chance to explore the surface world.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Little Mermaid trailer without the unforgettable shot of Ariel breaking through the water with her new human legs.
After showcasing a hilarious scene between Scuttle (Awkwafina) and Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), Bailey’s stunning rendition of Part of Your World starts to flow throughout the trailer – which beautifully transitions into Ariel’s epic sea rock scene from the 1989 classic.
Shortly after the trailer was released, pop culture enthusiasts took to social media to express their excitement over the upcoming film.
One fan person wrote: “THE LITTLE MERMAID LOOKS SO GOOD OH HALLE THE QUEEN YOU ARE.”
Another Twitter user said: “The Little Mermaid is the cultural shift we need! This trailer is outstanding! Miss Halle Bailey is about to break and shatter records with this movie!!”
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In an interview with Variety, Bailey acknowledged the impact of Princess Ariel being played by a Black actor, particularly as only one other Disney Princess, Anika Noni Rose as Tiana in The Princess and the Frog, has been depicted as such.
“I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that they’re special, and that they should be a princess in every single way,” she said. “There’s no reason that they shouldn’t be. That reassurance was something that I needed.”
Marshall also said of her performance: “Halle had this incredible facility to be able to dig deep, find the truth of Ariel’s passion and her heart. It was like watching a great film actor being born.”
The Little Mermaid live-action feature is set to hit theatres on 26 May.
Watch the film’s first full-length trailer here or below.
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