Little Mermaid: Set Photos Offer Best Look Yet at Halle Bailey as Ariel

After years worth of hype and chatter online, Disney’s live-action take on The Little Mermaid is officially filming, and fans have been eager to see exactly how the unique project will come together. In particular, many are curious to see grown-ish star and Grammy-nominated musician Halle Bailey‘s performance as Ariel, the young mermaid who sacrifices her voice for a chance to walk on land. After set photos of the actress initially surfaced online earlier this month, a new batch of photos provide a whole new look at Bailey in character — complete with a version of the iconic sail dress that Ariel wears in the animated film. You can check out the photos, via Just Jared, below.

“I feel like I’m dreaming, and I’m just grateful.” Bailey explained in a previous interview. “And I don’t pay attention to the negativity. I just feel like this role is something bigger than me, and greater, and it’s going to be beautiful. I’m just so excited to be a part of it.

The Little Mermaid will be directed by Rob 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 Diggs’ Hamilton co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda. Bailey is expected to be joined by Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Awkwafina as Skuttle, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.

“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 previously 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.”

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