The Little Mermaid: Halle Bailey praised for ‘angelic’ singing in first teaser for Disney’s live-action remake

Disney has released the first teaser trailer for the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.

The film, set to be released in 2023, stars Halle Bailey as the mermaid Ariel, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.

Footage of the film was unveiled at Disney’s annual D23 fan event.

The teaser includes a snippet of Bailey taking on “Part of Your World”, one of the best-known numbers from Disney’s original 1989 musical animation.

Fans have shared their reactions to the teaser on social media, with responses being particularly effusive about Bailey’s singing.

“WHY AM I ON THE VERGE OF TEARS??!? OH MY GOD??!?!” one person wrote.

Actor Beverly Naya wrote: “ This is one of the most beautiful teasers I’ve ever seen. Didn’t like The Little Mermaid as a child but I will most definitely be watching this! Ps. Halle looks and sounds so angelic!”

“This just unlocked a feeling in me that I haven’t felt since I watched the movie as a kid,” someone else commented.

“You see when you hire ACTUAL singers who CAN ACT... Halle Bailey is going to be THE Disney Princess of this generation!” another person wrote.

Elsewhere at the D23 Showcase, Disney announced a number of new projects, including a sequel to the hit Pixar animation Inside Out.

The Little Mermaid is released in cinemas next May.