Halle Bailey is “very excited” for The Little Mermaid to finally be out in the world.
The 22-year-old actor and singer stars as princess Ariel in the highly anticipated live-action remake of Disney’s original musical animation.
In “celebration” of its 26 May release, Bailey shared a “new look at The Little Mermaid”.
“Just 100 days until it arrives in theatres,” she wrote in the Twitter caption.
The new trailer features Bailey singing the hit song “Part of Your World” as she navigates the ocean and teases her eventual surfacing.
It also previews Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula for the first time.
Disney announced in 2019 that Bailey would be taking on the lead role. The news was immediately met with a host of negative comments about the idea of a Black actor portraying the fictional character.
Fellow celebrities, including comedian Trevor Noah and Halle Berry, have condemned the “racist” response.
Bailey said she brushed off the backlash, instead focusing on the “encouraging words” from her grandparents reminding her: “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.”
She later addressed why the role meant so much to her, saying: “I love this movie so much, and I’ve treasured it since I was a little girl.
“I did put a bit of pressure on myself just because I want to deliver all of the feels that I saw when I was a little girl.”
The Little Mermaid releases in cinemas on 26 May.
