Disney made quite a splash at its D23 Expo last weekend with a first look at Halle Bailey’s live-action “The Little Mermaid,” which earned over 104 million global views, Variety has learned exclusively.
The clip takes viewers on a journey through the ocean before showing the shimmering underwater life of Ariel (Bailey), who teases her version of the iconic “Little Mermaid” song “Part of Your World.”
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“The Little Mermaid” teaser floated above those of all recent Disney live-action titles, including “Cruella” (68 million views), “Beauty and the Beast” (94 million views), “Alladin” (74 million views) and “Maleficent 2” (62 million views). Worldwide views are compiled from YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. Due to Queen Elizabeth II’s death on Thursday, “The Little Mermaid” metrics do not include views from the U.K., Ireland and Australia.
In addition, “The Little Mermaid” clip claimed Reddit’s No. 1 trending topic on Friday night and is currently the No. 1 trending video on YouTube’s “Movies” section. Reposted versions of the trailer occupy the No. 2 and 3 slots.
The teaser earned high praise on Twitter from celebrities including Zendaya, Halle Berry, Keke Palmer, Ben Platt, Nicki Minaj and Amanda Gorman, and kicked off a cute TikTok trend of parents filming their kids’ reaction to the video.
During the clip’s D23 debut, the hall was silent taking in Bailey’s familiar, yet new, take on Ariel. Several members of the audience were visually emotional upon hearing “Part of Your World.” “She’s so good,” a crowd member yelled out, while another said, “I have chills.”
The film is directed by Rob Marshall and stars Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Art Malik, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy, with Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina in voice roles. “The Little Mermaid” swims into theaters on May 26, 2023.
Watch the full first look below.
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