Why 'The Little Mermaid' Could Be Disney's BIGGEST Live-Action Movie Yet

It seems like everyone wants to be part of Ariel’s world right now.

The Little Mermaid at D23 Expo

Disney recently released its first full trailer for the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. There’s already a scramble for the live-action Ariel doll AND we’re hearing some buzz about Melissa McCarthy’s turn in the film as Ursula. But the trailer itself has already broken one record.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the trailer for the live-action The Little Mermaid generated over 108 million global views IN ITS FIRST 24 HOURS. That makes it the second most-watched trailer for any Disney live-action film EVER within 24 hours of its release, coming in second to the trailer for the live-action The Lion King in early 2019.

©Disney

The trailer for the live-action The Lion King got 130 million views in spring 2019. But The Little Mermaid trailer has easily beat out other trailers for Disney’s live-action remakes, including Aladdin, which was viewed 106.5 million times, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Mulan, and Cruella.

©Disney

Note that this number doesn’t just include views online, but also on broadcast TV. However, that’s still a lot of eyeballs watching that trailer. On YouTube alone, the total number of views is currently over 9 million. That’s just ON YOUTUBE.

Halle Bailey stars as Ariel in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. She’s joined by McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, and Jonah Hauer-King, who all co-star in the movie.

After the full trailer aired during the Oscars, The Little Mermaid trended at #2 on Twitter. It has also been the #1 Global Trending Video on YouTube.

©Disney

We can’t wait to see the movie when it releases in theaters on May 26th. In the meantime, stay tuned to DFB for more updates about ALL upcoming Disney movies! Here’s a list of every live-action remake currently in the works.

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