‘The Little Mermaid’ Trailer: Halle Bailey Transforms Under the Sea in Breathtaking Underwater Disney Film
Halle Bailey is becoming part of the A-list world.
The singer-actress leads the live-action remake of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” with the first full-length trailer debuting during the 2023 Oscars. Bailey and co-star Melissa McCarthy introduced the film onstage.
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Rob Marshall directs “The Little Mermaid,” with the official synopsis reading: “The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
Javier Bardem, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, and Art Malik round out the ensemble cast. The screenplay is written by David Magee, featuring songs from Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and new lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The film is produced by two-time Emmy® winner Marc Platt, Miranda, two-time Emmy winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), and director Marshall, with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer.
Director Marshall previously opened up about the casting process with Bailey playing Ariel, noting the star “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,” Marshall told Entertainment Weekly.
Lead star Bailey, who is one half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle, told The Hollywood Reporter, “The fact that I get to represent all of these little young Black and brown boys and girls who are to come is really special to me because I know that if I had that when I was younger, it would have changed my whole perspective on life.”
“The Little Mermaid” premieres May 26 in theaters.
Check out the trailer below.
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