Disney’s The Little Mermaid flops in China and South Korea amid racist backlash 

Disney's latest live-action film The Little Mermaid may have got a roaring response at the US box office, but it has failed to impress moviegoers in China and South Korea. The film has reportedly made only $ 3.6 million in China since its release on May 26. The lackluster response at the box office is being attributed to racist critiques in some quarters which have raised questions about the casting of black actress Halle Bailey in the lead role of Ariel.

In the first five days, the film only managed to earn USD 2.7 million which is far less than Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse — which earned USD 20 million in the first week in China.

In South Korea, “The Little Mermaid” has grossed $4.4 million since May 24.

According to the Korean Film Council, the film attracted some 472,000 viewers in its first week in theatres there, far less than the 643,000 fans who showed up for the new Fast and Furious film- Fast X which opened a week before The Little Mermaid.

Black Ariel in The Little Mermaid

While Bailey's casting has been hailed as refreshing by many the world over, it has not been received well in China. In the United States, young Black girls have hailed Disney’s decision, saying they feel represented on the big screen because of her titular role.
The Little Mermaid has also done well at the domestic box office, and ranked at number two over the past weekend according to Comscore.

Interestingly, the criticism has also affected the film's IMDb score where it has been hit by 'review bombing' — a practice where users leave negative reviews which lead to low ratings.

But on IMDb, the film has allegedly been hit by “review bombing,” a practice where users leave negative reviews on a title to try to lower its rating. The issue led IMDb last week to warn of “unusual voting activity” and tweak how it calculates the ratings.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

A cold reception

The film has earned USD 27 million globally, with USD 186 million coming from the US box office and USD 141 million from international audiences, according to Comscore.

But the film's poor show in China is likely to affect the film's overall business as it the country is the world's second-largest box office,thereby contributing big to the overall collection of a movie.

Fans in mainland China have shared their objections to the movie online, mainly expressing disappointment with Bailey’s casting. On Douban, a popular Chinese movie review website, users scored the film just 5.1 out of 10.

Several have expressed disappointment over the casting. One user wrote on a movie ranking website, that they were “puzzled” as “the ‘Little Mermaid’ in my mind is White." Several others made discriminatory comments about Bailey’s skin colour.

“The fairy tale that I grew up with has changed beyond recognition!” wrote another user.

South Korean too have expressed similar emotions. On Instagram, one user wrote that the movie had been “ruined” for them, adding “#NotMyAriel.”

Certain sections in Japan too have expressed displeasure over the film's casting. While the film is yet to open in the country, it has already faced criticism for Ariel's portrayal.

“Don’t trample on my cherished childhood memories and the image of Ariel,” one online forum user wrote.

Chinese state media has also questioned the casting. In an editorial published a day before the film’s debut in China, state-run tabloid Global Times said it had “caused a debate about representation in entertainment and highlighted the challenges of adapting beloved, traditional tales.”The publication termed Disney’s decision to cast Bailey an effort to include the minorities in big productions, and be known as being “politically correct.”

“The controversy surrounding Disney’s forced inclusion of minorities in classic films is not about racism, but its lazy and irresponsible storytelling strategy,” it said, echoing views expressed on social media in China, Japan, and South Korea.

So far, Disney has not reacted to the controversy. The film's director, Rob Marshall, earlier stated that Bailey was cast only on the basis of her talent.

“She immediately set the bar so high that no one surpassed it,” he told The Hollywood Reporter last month. “We saw every ethnicity. There was no agenda to cast a woman of color. It was really just, ‘Let’s find the best Ariel,’ and Halle claimed the role.”

The film has received mixed response from critics. WION's Kshitij Rawat has called the film 'underwhelming'. "These films, the Disney live-action remakes, are always made by filmmakers who fail to instill any personality to the narrative, and more often than not try to redo the film almost frame-by-frame. The result, likeThe Little Mermaidhere, is always a pale imitation," wrote Rawat in his review.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.