The Little Mermaid director teases new songs in the live-action remake

The full trailer for Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid dropped yesterday during the 95th Academy Awards, giving fans a taste of what’s to come. The original animated movie included some fantastic songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, which will be included in the live-action Little Mermaid, but there will also be a few new songs as well.

Alan Menken teamed up with Lin-Manual Miranda to pen a handful of new songs for The Little Mermaid, including For The First Time, which will play out while Ariel (Halle Bailey) experiences her new human appendages. “It’s about her experiences the moment she hits land,” The Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall told Empire. “We needed to create a number that could almost work as a montage, so we could take her through that experience – coming onto the land, what it’s like to put on shoes, have legs… Anybody who has a different experience, it’s wondrous and scary at the same time.” Marshall added that Bailey was the perfect choice to play the mermaid. “There was an innocence and a purity to [Halle] as well as having fire,” Marshall said. “It was this strange combination. And, of course, this magnificent voice.“

The Little Mermaid will tell “the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.“

The live-action remake stars Halle Bailey as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric; Javier Bardem as King Triton; Melissa McCarthy as Ursula; Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina; Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian; Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder; and Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle. The Little Mermaid will hit theaters on May 26th.