On Friday, Disney unveiled a sneak peek at its forthcoming The Little Mermaid remake starring Halle Bailey at D23. The short clip released on social media showed brought viewers on a journey through the ocean, showcasing the stellar CGI work done on the sealife and water, while also offering a quick glimpse of Bailey as Ariel and her vocals on “Part of Your World” for the film. Since its release online, the teaser has amassed over 104 million views, per Variety.
It’s an impressive feat on its own, but especially when looking back at the teaser views of some of Disney’s other live-action remakes. Cruella, for example, pulled in 68 million views, while Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin pulled in 94 million views and 74 million views, respectively. Even more impressive is that these numbers do not include views from the U.K., Ireland or Australia. Both Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin proved to be huge successes, surpassing the $1 billion mark at the box office.
While there were some people who responded negatively to the teaser, for atrocious reasons, the overall response online has been positive. Celebrities such as Zendaya, Halle Berry, and Keke Palmer have shared the teaser online along with their excitement. While many viewers have also released heartwarming reaction videos of their young children responding to Bailey as Ariel, showcasing their elation because Ariel looked like them.
The Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall and stars Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Art Malik, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy. Also part of the cast are Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina, who all lend their voices to characters in the film. The movie swims into theaters on May 23rd, 2023.
Source: Variety.
