Unpacking Today's Massive Little Mermaid Promo Release

We are exactly one month away from Disney's new adaptation of "The Little Mermaid." After a long stretch of dishing out breadcrumbs to hungry fans, Disney decided that the one-month mark is as good a time as any to release all the content they've been hiding from us. Today has been a monsoon of new content that is personified by the shower of Ariel emojis that rain over the screen when looking up #TheLittleMermaid on Twitter. Why now? The primary reason seems to be that advance tickets have just gone on sale through Fandango. If your local theater is selling tickets, I recommend snatching them up before it's too late. With this ticket sale comes an onslaught of new posters, videos, and merchandise including specialized shops just for this movie on Amazon and ShopDisney. There is so much to "sea" that I thought I would try to compile everything in one place to make it a little easier to digest.

First, there are so many new posters that I don't even know where to begin! I think the Fandango poster is my favorite. It portrays Ariel poking her torso through the surface and soaking up the warm sunlight while her tail is visible in the dark blue water as Ursula's tentacles loom menacingly in the background, a beautiful metaphor for being split between two worlds. Other posters for the film give us a closer look at the characters including this gorgeous set that features individual headshots of seven key characters in the movie. Again, Ariel looks the most beautiful and artistic here, leaning back with her hand over her throat as though she can feel her voice being ripped from her body as her auburn locks flow gracefully around her. Ursula, Triton, and Eric all look great, but not as artsy as Ariel. The CGI posters for Sebastian, Scuttle, and Flounder confirm their designs based on the glimpses we've had previously through merchandise and trailers.

If you're like Ariel and want more, you're in luck! In addition the poster, there have been several official video releases today including a new trailer, a full audio of Halle singing "Part of Your World" from the movie's soundtrack, and a 20-minute long interview with four of the cast members. You can watch/listen to all three of these videos below. I personally found the new trailer way more nostalgic than the previous one they released because it features a classic scene from the beginning of the animated movie in which Ariel and Flounder are chased by a shark while exploring a shipwreck. Their voices and mannerisms sound so similar to the way I remember them from my childhood that it almost feels like watching the original film. The imagery in the trailer also looks brighter and easier to discern. Halle's full-length performance of "Part of Your World" gives major Jodi Benson vibes while adding her own soulful spin to the song. You can really hear the emotion in her voice and how much she wanted to do the movie justice.

Fandango kicked off a new series of cast interviews called The Big Ticket today with none other than our favorite mermaid. This full-length interview features Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Daveed Diggs, and Awkwafina discussing their respective roles as Ariel, Ursula, Sebastian, and Scuttle in the upcoming movie. Halle is very much the star of the interview with her sparkly princess personality as she discusses how she grew up with the movie and never considered that she would have the opportunity to play Ariel someday and what a blessing that is to her. Melissa McCarthy gushes over Halle's beautiful voice and how it brought her to tears several times. Halle also talks about what it was like to work with CG characters who had pre-recorded voices that she listened to during filming while watching puppets stand in for the characters. It's a pretty fun interview, and I'm so pleased that Fandango kicked off their new series with my favorite princess!

Four years have passed since Halle was cast as Ariel and the movie went into production. It's very satisfying to finally see the results of her hard work and know that it will be playing in theaters everywhere in just a few short weeks. I hope this isn't everything that Disney is planning to put out for the film since I'm still waiting for a new fashion line from Hot Topic, but it's at least enough to "tide" me over until it comes out, especially after reading the disappointing prequel. I love that we can finally "sea" and hear more of Halle as Ariel than from a few dark clips or leaked footage, and I can't wait to watch the version of the film on the big screen. My local theater isn't selling tickets that far in advance yet, but I will snatch them up as soon as they go on sale! If you're planning on seeing this movie, be sure to check Fandango to see if tickets have gone on sale at your local theater. Are you excited to see a new adaptation of "The Little Mermaid?" Let me know in the comments!