This Video Shows Why Halle Bailey Is Perfect for The Little Mermaid

Earlier this week, the world of live-action Disney adaptations got a pretty major update, when Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel in the upcoming adaptation of The Little Mermaid. Fans of the actress and Grammy-nominated musician have had a pretty passionate response to Bailey landing the role, and a new video is helping explain why. A tweet from Twitter user @chuuzus has recently gone viral, which shows a clip of Bailey singing “Unforgettable”.

Bailey is known for her Grammy-nominated work in the music group Chloe x Halle, which she started with her sister in 2015. The pair got their start posting covers on YouTube, before being discovered by Beyonce and opening for her on her Lemonade tour. In terms of acting, Bailey has served as a series regular on Grown-ish, as well as appearances on Austin & Ally and Last Holiday.

The Little Mermaid will see Bailey join Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Awkwafina as Skuttle, with Melissa McCarthy in talks to play the villainous Ursula.

The film will be directed by Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns), with a script from David Magee and Jane Goldman. The film is expected to feature original songs from the 1989 animated blockbuster, as well as new tracks composed by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“There are things I’ve learned about how you have to work to integrate songs into story, and how it has to feel earned. It can’t just be sort of put there, placed there, because you feel there should be a song,” Marshall told ComicBook.com. “It has to be a song that’s earned, that takes you there. And so as we’re working on, in a way, fleshing out The Little Mermaid — Ariel has one song in the animated film — and so we’re looking for maybe more material.”

“Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda are coming on board to write some lyrics, so that’s exciting, to sort of take what was there, which is so beloved, but also find a way to create a live-action version of it,” Marshall said, adding “the lessons of creating an original musical have been very helpful so far.”

Are you excited to see Halle Bailey play Ariel in The Little Mermaid? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!