“The Little Mermaid” live-action film is underperforming in some foreign markets mainly due to the film’s casting choices. The film has been receiving racially motivated backlash in countries such as China and South Korea over the decision to cast Halle Bailey, a Black woman, in the role of Ariel. Bailey was picked for the role in 2019. A decision that was met with backlash in her home country as well. However, the film has been performing well in the U.S.
Abysmal Numbers
According to The Hollywood Reporter, in China, “The Little Mermaid” has grossed just $ 3.6 million in its first 10 days of release. In South Korea, the movie has only made $4.4 million up until June 4. This is by far the worst-performing Disney live-action film to show in these countries. Although the performance of Hollywood films hasn’t been on the up since the start of the pandemic, the underwhelming performance of “The Little Mermaid” seems particularly targeted.
Other live-action films such as The Jungle Book and The Lion King were successful in several Asian countries, including China. At the time, both films raked in $150 million and $120 million, respectively. The Hollywood Reporter says film insiders predict that “The Little Mermaid” might ultimately make less than $ 24 million. It’s a number comparable to the earnings for “Cruella” which was released during the pandemic.
Racial Motivations
The decision to cast a Black woman in a role originally featuring a white animated character has been met with derision and backlash. While the backlash may have coalesced in the U.S, it appears to have trickled down to other parts of the world.
Unverified audience reviews and op-eds specifically against the casting of a Black woman in this role have also bolstered the film’s lackluster performance in these countries. In an op-ed published by China’s government-affiliated publication, The Global Times, the film was criticized for its casting decision.
According to the op-ed, “The controversy surrounding Disney’s forced inclusion of minorities in classic films is not about racism, but its lazy and irresponsible storytelling strategy.” The piece goes on to claim that for many Chinese people, there is an ingrained image of the ideal mermaid princess that will be hard to root out. An image, that goes without saying, looks nothing like Halle Bailey.