First look of Halle Berry starrer 'The Little Mermaid' out

WASHINGTON: The first look of the live-action adaptation of 'The Little Mermaid', starring Halle Bailey and directed by Rob Marshall, has finally been unveiled by Disney at the D23 Expo.

According to Deadline, the upcoming movie is slated to hit theatres on May 26. At the event, Bailey said today that it's the first time she has seen footage of the film.

"I'm sure all of you in here can relate to Ariel and how special she is to all of us," she said from the stage.

The movie is based on Disney's 1989 animated classic, which was itself based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

The story centres on the mermaid princess Ariel, who makes a Faustian bargain with the sea witch Ursala in an attempt to become human and win the love of a prince.

Clements and John Musker wrote and directed the original film, which became an instant classic upon its release, grossing over USD 211M worldwide and winning Academy Awards for Best Music, Original Score and Best Music, Original Song, along with two Golden Globes, a Grammy and other accolades, reported Deadline.

David Magee and Jane Goldman scripted the new take, in which Halle Bailey will star as Ariel, with Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Javier Bardem as King Triton.

As per Deadline, the development of the live-action 'Little Mermaid' began in 2016.

The upcoming musical fantasy pic will feature songs created for the original film, as well as new ones penned by original composer Alan Menken, with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda.