Devoted Disney fans were given a special treat earlier on Friday during the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California.
An official first look trailer for The Little Mermaid was released, giving a quick glimpse of the live-action remake based on the beloved animation.
The film stars Halle Bailey portraying the iconic Disney princess, Ariel, and is set to release in theaters next year on May 26, 2023.
FIRST LOOK: Devoted Disney fans were given a special treat earlier on Friday during the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California; Halle Bailey pictured as Ariel in The Little Mermaid
The film stars Halle Bailey portraying the iconic Disney princess, and is set to release in theaters next year on May 26, 2023
The trailer, which would naturally be quite nostalgic to fans who grew up with the animation, opened with waves crashing in the sea.
Soft music began to play in the background, and slowly built up and grew louder throughout the course of the teaser.
The clip then takes a deep dive into the sea, where the camera followed various different fish and sea animals as they swam around, teasing for a glimpse of The Little Mermaid herself.
Opening sequence: The short trailer began with an aerial view of large waves crashing in the ocean
Excited: The live-action Disney remake is directed by Rob Marshall, who has worked on films such as Into The Woods and Mary Poppins Returns
After seeing various adorable sea animals crossing the screen in a flash, the camera veered towards an old ship wreckage resting on the ocean floor, paying homage to a scene from the 1989 animation where Ariel explores an abandoned shipwreck.
Suddenly, the classic character is seen across the screen, with her long, flowy locks floating around her and her colorful mermaid tail reflecting in the sea’s dim light.
The camera follows Ariel as she explores around her, including a delipidated, wooden ship, while the orchestral music grows louder.
Filming: Production and development for the upcoming Little Mermaid film began years ago in 2016
Underwater world: Viewers were taken on a quick journey at the bottom of the ocean during the trailer
Classic character: Halle Bailey was cast to play the iconic role of Ariel, also known as, The Little Mermaid
The clip then shows Ariel swiftly swimming to flashing lights closer to the shoreline, building up to the classic tune, Part Of Your World.
Halle is heard beautifully singing as the title card appeared for a moment, ‘Out of the sea, wish I could be, part of that world.’ The camera then focused on her from a higher angle as she finished the lyrics.
Excited viewers then got a sneak peak at Ariel’s classic mermaid costume, including her vibrant green mermaid tail. The trailer concluded with a release date for later next year in May 2023.
Out of the sea: In the trailer, Ariel is seen swimming towards light flashing from outside the ocean water
The upcoming live-action remake stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, along with other cast members such as Jonah Hauer-King as Principe Eric, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
The plot’s premise will stick closely to the original, following Ariel’s deal with sea witch Ursula to have human legs in exchange for her voice.
Rob Marshall directed the movie, and has been a part of other musical projects such as Into The Woods (2014), and Chicago (2002).
Countdown: Fans of the beloved film will be counting down the days until the movie’s premiere next year
Remake: The 2023 live-action will follow closely to the plot of the critically acclaimed 1989 classic animation
During the D23 Expo earlier on Friday, Halle and Rob were in attendance to discuss their excitement of the film’s anticipated release.
The stunning actress, known for her role on Grown-ish, opened up about taking on the role of Ariel, reported Deadline.
‘I’m sure all of you in here can relate to Ariel and how special she is to all of us,’ she expressed. ‘Being a little girl swimming in the pool, imagining I was a mermaid, I never imagined that would come to life like this.’
Halle then discussed filming the iconic scene where she sings Part Of Your World. ‘The three days filming Part of Your World was the most beautiful experience of my life, feeling all the feelings she feels, her passion, discomfort, everything she’s experiencing.’
Special role: Halle stated during the D23 expo in Anaheim that singing Part Of Your World was a ‘beautiful experience’
Beloved characters: Other characters will be seen in the live-action, such as Flounder and the sea witch, Ursula
Rob also weighed in on his experience bringing The Little Mermaid to life once again.
‘I have a special connection to this film. In 1989, I don’t know if you remember the excitement to hear a musical again. It was sort of dead, musicals were gone,’ the filmmaker explained, according to Deadline.
‘Even though it was animated, we could hear people singing again and again. When Disney asked me to do this, it felt like this incredible moment. It felt like fate,’ he added.
The original Disney animated Little Mermaid was released in theaters on November 17, 1989 and received an incredible amount of critical acclaim. On a budget of $40 million, the movie garnered a total of $235 million in worldwide box office sales.
The animation also received an Academy Award for Best Original Score along with another Oscar for Best Original Song.
Additional films and projects have been added into The Little Mermaid franchise since then, including The Little Mermaid 2 (2000), which focuses on Ariel’s daughter, and the live musical on ABC in 2019.
Successful first film: The 1989 Little Mermaid was a box office success and was award two Academy Awards
‘Connection’: Rob Marshall expressed that ‘it felt like fate’ when he was asked to be a part of the 2023 live-action The Little Mermaid
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