The newest The Little Mermaid trailer gives a first look at important characters
Ariel fans should be thrilled. Disney dropped its first full-length trailer for the live-action remake The Little Mermaid (May 26), and this one gives us a glimpse at characters like King Triton, Scuttle, and yup—Ursula. We also get a better look at Prince Eric, his kingdom, and the infamous storm at sea where the lovebirds meet for the first time. Most importantly, we hear Halle Bailey sing “Part of Your World.”
When we do get a look at Ursula (an almost unrecognizable Melissa McCarthy), there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the infamous villain. One thing that remains constant is the haunting cackle all movie-goers will instantly recognize, first heard in the teaser trailer below. It may not be identical to the original (voice actor Pat Carroll sadly passed away in 2022), but McCarthy is giving it her all.
Disney also dropped a poster well ahead of the movie’s release date this spring, giving us plenty of time to build up our excitement before we head to the theater to belt out the lyrics alongside Bailey. In it, the actress looks stunning, posing as Ariel in an ethereal, underwater scene.
The first two-minute teaser for ‘The Little Mermaid,’ which admittedly is near-identical to the second one, premiered in September as part of Disney’s annual D23 expo and showed Bailey swimming through the gorgeous underwater scenery.
People lost their collective minds on social media as soon as they heard her angelic voice:
The Little Mermaid 1989 – 2023
— That witch ᱬ (@lizziescoven_) September 10, 2022
side by side
Part of your world@HalleBailey you’re perfect#TheLittleMermaid #HalleBailey pic.twitter.com/psN1JfjHJB
me after that little mermaid trailer pic.twitter.com/uBQNNuX31T
— dij (@DijahSB) September 10, 2022
Disney previously announced the rest of the cast at the end of last year and it’s one strong group. Daveed Diggs of Hamilton fame plays Ariel’s BFF Sebastian, Javier Bardem is King Triton, Awkwafina plays the previously male seagull Scuttle, and Jonah Hauer-King plays Prince Eric.
In a Variety cover interview, Bailey talked about her love for the original animated film and that she used to pretend she was Ariel whenever she went swimming. She also talked about the importance of seeing more Black females in roles.
“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 explained. “There’s no reason that they shouldn’t be. That reassurance was something that I needed.”
She said her family helped keep her grounded after online criticism of her playing the iconic role. “It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, telling me, ‘You don’t understand what this is doing for us, for our community, for all the little Black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you.’”
