A new clip for The Little Mermaid has just been released. A live-action remake of the animated Disney film, the movie stars Halle Bailey as a new incarnation of Ariel, the titular mermaid who hopes to find a new life for herself outside of the ocean. One of the most memorable songs from the film is "Part of Your World," and the first teaser released for the movie included a small part of Bailey's version of the song. The new clip reveals more of the song with Bailey's Ariel singing about how she wishes she could be a "part of that world." You can watch the clip below.
"That voice is something that is so signature and so ethereal and so beautiful that it captures the heart of Eric, and he looks for her for the entire film," director Rob Marshall told EW about Bailey's take on Ariel, which blew away the filmmakers during the audition process.
"Halle is perfect for the part," songwriter and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda also told Variety., believing Bailey would silence her doubters soon enough. "She is going to blow them away."
Bailey will be performing songs from the original film, although some of them will have updated lyrics, given today's sensitivities. There have also been new songs written for the film by Miranda and Alan Menken. Marshall teased one of the new songs, "For the First Time," in a recent interview with Empire, teasing that the song is one that will resonate with viewers.
“It’s about her experiences the moment she hits land," Marshall explained. "We needed to create a number that could almost work as a montage, so we could take her through that experience – coming onto the land, what it’s like to put on shoes, have legs. Anybody who has a different experience, it’s wondrous and scary at the same time.”
The Little Mermaid Gets Reimagined
Marshall directed the film using a screenplay by David Magee. In addition to Bailey in the lead role as Ariel, the film stars Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. Also featured are the voices of Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Awkwafina as Scuttle, and Jacob Tremblay as Flounder.
While social media has seen its share of complaints over the change in Ariel's ethnicity, The Little Mermaid is on track to be a big success financially. It's projected to be one of the biggest movies of the year, expected to open at around $125 million domestically. If that pans out, it would make The Little Mermaid the third-highest opener for Disney's live-action remakes, following The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. If the movie is well-received critically, it could end up having a lengthy run in theaters, and there's no telling just how much cash the film will end up pulling in.
The Little Mermaid will be washing ashore in movie theaters on May 26, 2023. You can get another sneak peek by watching an official trailer below.