Halle Bailey is ready to take us under the sea with her feature film debut! Back in 2019, it was announced that the 21-year-old singer and actress would be taking on the iconic role of Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, and in June, we finally got a first look at Bailey on set. Sporting Ariel’s signature mermaid tail, Bailey was spotted beachside in Sardinia, Italy, alongside Jonah Hauer-King, who is set to play Prince Eric. She was also spotted hiding inside a cart while wearing Ariel’s iconic burlap look. To make matters more exciting, Bailey is making history as the first Black actress to play Ariel.
Disney’s live-action remake of the 1989 classic will be directed by Mary Poppins Returns‘s Rob Marshall and will feature the music stylings of Lin-Manuel Miranda and original composer Alan Menken. Also joining the cast are Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, and Noma Dumezweni.