Disney has released a breathtaking new trailer for their highly-anticipated live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic, “The Little Mermaid”. The film, directed by Rob Marshall, takes viewers on a journey to the underwater world of beloved characters like Ariel, King Triton, and Ursula, brought to life with stunning visual effects and live-action performances.
The role of Ariel is played by Halle Bailey, known for her work as half of the Grammy-nominated R&B duo Chloe x Halle, as well as her appearances in “A Wrinkle in Time” and “Grown-ish”. Bailey’s casting as a Black woman caused some controversy, with some social media users using the #NotMyAriel hashtag. However, Bailey shared that her grandparents’ stories of racism and their encouragement helped her to stay strong in the face of the backlash. She also emphasized the importance of representation for young girls who look like her, saying “Things that seem so small to everyone else, it’s so big to us.”
In addition to Bailey, “The Little Mermaid” boasts an all-star cast including Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, Jacob Tremblay voicing Flounder, Daveed Diggs voicing Sebastian, and Awkwafina voicing Scuttle.
The film’s soundtrack is created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken, who also composed the score for the original film, and will feature both classic songs from the animated version as well as four new original tracks.
Produced by Miranda, Marshall, Russell Allen, John DeLuca, Marc Platt, and Michael Zimmer, with Allison Erlikhman serving as executive producer, “The Little Mermaid” is set to hit theaters on May 26th
