Get ready for Halle Bailey to become a part of your world. The first look at the highly anticipated live-action remake of “Little Mermaid” was unveiled at Disney’s D23 Expo, revealing the acclaimed R&B star and actor in the iconic role of mermaid princess Ariel.
Director Rob Marshall, of “Chicago” fame, celebrated the fact that this was a live-action musical. Referring to the Oscar-winning film from the past, he said: “When we started this journey it was very important to honor the original” but also to rethink and “give some depth” to the new film. The director also tapped “Little Mermaid” longtime Disney alum Alan Menken to team up with award-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda to create four new songs. “They’ve never worked together before, and it’s magical…. We still retain the beauty of the original score by the late great Howard Ashman.”
As for the new mermaid, Bailey “stepped in and claimed the role,” Marshall said. Shortly after the introduction, Marshall debuted the first footage from “The Little Mermaid” showing Bailey singing the iconic song “Part of Your World” (D23 audience only). The room was silent receiving this familiar, yet new, rendition. Several members of the audience were visually emotional at this impressive performance. “She’s so good,” shouted one crowd member, “I’m getting chills,” said another.
The actress then joined fans to a standing ovation and shared details from the shoot. “Part of Your World” took three days to shoot. Bailey described the little mermaid as a girl, “Swimming in the pool, imagining I was a mermaid, I could never see it come to life.”
As for the differences between the animated film and the live action, Bailey’s fins seem to be a bit longer than the animated version, plus she’s ditched the conical underwater bra for something more streamlined.
Adapted from the 1989 film by John Musker and Ron Clements, which was based on the 19th-century fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Little Mermaid” tells the story of Ariel, the youngest daughter of King Triton (Javier Bardem), the ruler of of the underwater kingdom of Atalantica. Ariel, already fascinated by the human world, falls deeply in love with handsome Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) after saving him during a shipwreck and decides to meet him in the world above water. Her quest brings her into conflict with her father and into the clutches of the wicked witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy). The cast also includes Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs as the voices of classic Disney sidekicks Flounder, Scuttle and Sebastian.
The live-action “Little Mermaid” is directed by Marshall, who previously directed the 2018 family musical “Mary Poppins Returns” for Disney, as well as movie musicals such as “Chicago” and “Into the Woods.” . The screenplay was written by Jane Goldman and David Magee. Miranda and Marshall are producing with John DeLuca and Marc Platt.
In an interview for Variety’s 2022 Power of Young Hollywood issue, Bailey spoke about her longtime love of the original film and addressed the racist criticism leveled at its cast by social media trolls. Bailey recalled getting support from her grandparents during the backlash, who reminded her of the impact a black princess would have on the big screen.
“It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, to say, ‘You don’t understand what this does for us, for our community, for all the little black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you.’ , Bailey said.
“The Little Mermaid” hits theaters on May 26, 2023. Check out the full first look below.
