Disney’s live action remake of The Little Mermaid hits cinemas later this year, and the first full trailer for the movie has finally arrived on Oscars night. Despite the initial controversy around the casting of Ariel, the titular mermaid who dreams of living her life out of the sea as a human, the new trailer defies anyone to say that Halle Bailey doesn’t bring the magic to life, and certainly has a voice that can see the musical movie soar high above the surface this summer. Check out the trailer below.
The Little Mermaid is looking to be the latest big screen blockbuster for Disney’s live-action remakes of their classic movies. While 2022’s Disney+ offering of Pinocchio didn’t get quite the reaction everyone hoped, and the last several reimaginings of older Disney properties have had their fair share of critics, The Little Mermaid seems as certain a hit as any movie coming out this year and could help give the House of Mouse yet another billion dollar film to add to their collection.
One of the biggest challenges for the movie is overcoming the criticism over the casting choice of Halle Bailey in the lead role. While many fans are looking forward to the movie’s arrival, after it was delayed from a 2022 release, there are still some who believe the movie’s casting has an agenda behind it. This is something that director Rob Marshall has previously shut down:
"We just were looking for the best actor for the role, period. The end. We saw everybody and every ethnicity... 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... Halle still had that freshness in herself. As soon as we cast her, we were really thinking in terms of how we can make this her Ariel."
Halle Bailey is Ready To Become A New Generation’s Little Mermaid
Despite the controversy around the casting of Halle Bailey, the actress has overcome her initial nerves and is now ready to be seen as Ariel by a lot of young girls who she hopes will take something from the role. Speaking last year about the part, Bailey said:
"I don't feel pressure anymore. I think that before I started filming, I did feel some nerves naturally because the film is important to so many people. The fact that all these little Black and Brown babies are going to be able to feel like they're being represented is really special to me. I know that if I had that when I was younger, it would have changed a whole lot for me and my perspective on who I am as an individual."
Everyone will be able to join Bailey’s Ariel under the sea with an all-star cast including Awkwafina, Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay, Javier Bardem, Jonah Hauer-King and Daveed Diggs this summer when The Little Mermaid is released in theaters on May 26, 2023.