Disney unveiled a new teaser trailer for the long-awaited live-action remake of The Little Mermaid over the weekend, showing Halle Bailey in action as Ariel for the first time.
The clip debuted as part of the company’s D23 convention, not only giving fans a first look at Ariel’s new underwater environment, but also teasing a short clip of Halle performing her character’s iconic signature song.
Yes, as well as showing Ariel swimming to her hidden treasure trove, the Grammy-nominated singer can be heard performing a snippet of Part Of Your World, sounding every bit the Disney princess.
And while the new teaser may be just over a minute long, that didn’t stop fans of the original film (not to mention those who are simply looking forward to this new version) from getting a little teary-eyed at getting to see and hear the Chloe X Halle star in character at last:
Halle also got the thumbs up from Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in Disney’s original animated version of The Little Mermaid, who said she was “so thrilled [and] so excited” after watching the clip.
“You were absolutely amazing!” Jodi wrote on her Instagram story in a message addressed to the star. “I’m SO proud of you and your beautiful performance as Ariel.”
Halle will be joined in the new Little Mermaid remake by Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, while Melissa McCarthy will take on the role of the infamous Disney villain Ursula.
Rob Marshall – who previously helmed films like Chicago, Into The Woods and Mary Poppins Returns – is on directing duties, while the voice cast includes Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay.
The Little Mermaid is slated to hit cinemas in May 2023.