Halle Bailey shines in ‘The Little Mermaid’ teaser trailer

After years of Disney teasing its upcoming “Little Mermaid” remake, viewers and fans are getting a more substantial peek into the red-haired siren’s world. On Feb. 15, Halle Bailey, who is one-half of Chloe and Halle and portrays Ariel in the film, tweeted a 30 second teaser trailer for the film in honor of Disney’s 100 year celebration. As of the trailer’s release, there are 100 days until the film makes its way to theaters on May 26.

Bailey was announced as “The Little Mermaid’s” title character back in July 2019. Both Disney and Bailey kept details about the live-action remake of the animated classic underwraps, including Bailey’s hair transformation for the role. Although there was pushback from detractors who questioned casting Ariel as a Black woman, Bailey sees the role as a way to further Black representation in media.

“The fact that now it’s getting to be played by me, a person who looks like me, woman of color, I’m just like, wow, I’m so grateful what it will do for all the other little Black and brown boys and girls who will see themselves in me,” Bailey said to Variety last year. “Because I know if I had seen myself when I was younger, I think my whole perspective would’ve changed.”

The teaser also features a first-look at Prince Eric, who is portrayed by Jonah Hauer-King, as well as the film’s evil sea witch protagonist, Ursula, portrayed by Melissa McCarthy. The ensemble cast also includes Daveed Diggs (of “Hamilton” fame) as the voice of Jamaican crab Sebastian, Javier Bardem as King Triton and Bridgerton breakout star Simone Ashley Ariel’s sister Indira.

Where does “The Little Mermaid” take place?

“The Little Mermaid” has been part of the cultural zeitgeist for years. Prior to the 2023 remake, fans are most familiar with the 1989 animated version, which earned critical acclaim and won 2 Oscars. But after decades with Ariel’s story, there’s a question that still remains: where is Ariel from?

This has been a hotly debated topic in some forums, but let’s go back to the very origins of this story. “The Little Mermaid” was first a children’s fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen in 1836. While the story doesn’t specify where it takes place, some say that the story’s setting could have been Denmark. There’s even a statue in Copenhagen to commemorate the tale.

In the animated film, however, Ariel lives in the kingdom of Atlantica. Atlantica, like the name suggests, is under the Atlantic Ocean. This detail, coupled with the architecture on land, has led some to believe that the world Ariel dreams to be part of is located in a Mediterranean country like Italy or France.

Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and 5280 Magazine discussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. When she’s not working on a story, Roshae enjoys cooking, watching and analyzing reality TV, and spending time with family and friends.

This story was originally published February 17, 2023 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Halle Bailey shines in ‘The Little Mermaid’ teaser trailer."