As one of the biggest televised events of the year, the has always been a perfect, high-profile time for studios to drop trailers to their most anticipated films – so fans were disappointed when ’s The Little Mermaid wasn’t among them this year.
Super Bowl LVII may have seemingly been about the American football game between the and the , but many viewers tune in to watch the halftime show – a dazzling display by Rihanna this year – and see which trailers debut.
The 2023 event brought us , as well as another Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer and a brief second clip from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, featuring stars Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller Bridge falling out of a plane.
These are all films set for release between May and July this year, so it seems a fair assumption (or hope) that Disney fans would at the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
It’s release date sits right in with the rest of them, as it’s scheduled to hit cinemas internationally on May 26.
Alas, it was not meant to be, with a not a peep of Ariel flipping her fins to be seen.
‘All I wanted was the little mermaid trailer I’VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH,’ fumed one fan online, while another tweeted: ‘The Little Mermaid trailer not releasing during the Super Bowl is the most stupidest thing ever [sic].’
‘We wanted The Little Mermaid not these,’ lamented one viewer to Disney on Twitter, which also owns Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, the studios responsible for Guardians and Indiana Jones, respectively.
‘It’s Black History Month and they really chose not to release The Little Mermaid trailer during the super bowl…,’ wrote another fan, referencing Disney’s choice to in the lead role.
In the US, Black History Month runs in February, whereas in the UK is marked in October.
As well as fans only being treated to a tiny snippet of singing Part of Your World so far in the first trailer, it’s one of Disney’s most popular titles and therefore an eagerly awaited remake, especially with the casting decisions made.
Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay and Jonah Hauer-King also feature in the movie, which has been a long time coming.
Bailey has been publicly attached to the film since 2019, after the remake was announced way back in 2016.
Filming wrapped all the way back in July 2021, with fans clamouring for more ever since Bailey shared to celebrate.
Confusion over the trailer dropping was likely fanned by reporting it as being part of the Super Bowl trailer spots, although screenshots circulating social media over the weekend appeared to suggest that Bailey herself had denied to a fan that The Little Mermaid would be among them.
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Disney for comment.
The Little Mermaid releases in cinemas on May 26, 2023.
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