‘The Little Mermaid’ Floods Box Office In The Philippines, Despite Racist Backlash In Asia
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The Little Mermaid has received a ton of racist backlash since the announcement of singer and actress Halle Bailey as its reimagined star. Not only has the film seen xenophobic remarks in America, but reportedly in some regions of Asia as well, including China and South Korea.
However, on Thursday (June 22), The Hollywood Reporter shared that a particular region in Southeast Asia begs to differ. In the Philippines, the Disney live-action remake has reportedly seen much success at the box office. Per outlet, The Little Mermaid earned $5.8 million in that region alone, surpassing two of the biggest premieres of the year: The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($2.2 million) and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 ($4.7 million).
John Hsu, Disney’s senior vp studio business in Asia Pacific, stated to THR, “The Philippines, obviously, is a standout market for us. It’s rare, but it’s the biggest territory for The Little Mermaid in Southeast Asia by far, our third highest-grossing market in Asia-Pacific behind Australia and Japan, and our 11th highest-grossing territory globally.”
In larger markets like China and South Korea, The Little Mermaid hasn’t done so well amid bigoted backlash on social media, due to a Black woman playing the fictional character. In China, the film earned only $3.6 million and just $1.4 million more in South Korea — way less than what new-age Disney films have grossed in those regions before.
Reportedly, 2016’s The Jungle Book and The Lion King in 2019 scored big in China, raking in $150 and $120 million, respectively. In South Korea, Aladdin earned $91 million in 2019 and Beauty and the Beast brought in $37.5 million in 2017. Not to mention, all characters in the aforementioned are fictional as well, either portraying fair skinned characters and/or animals that talk.
“The Little Mermaid is a notable standout for the Philippines market this year,” stated Rance Pow, president of Artisan Gateway via THR. Although, he did note that the film still isn’t expected to reach the heights of its counterparts that have done well in the Philippines, too. “This might be because the Philippines is still re-ramping,” he explained as the movie market there continues to recover post-COVID.
@manilabulletin Little Mermaid fever ?♀️ WATCH: Filipino singer, Rhap Salazar and his friends share a tune singing a popular song from the film The Little Mermaid.
♬ original sound – Manila Bulletin News – Manila Bulletin News
“Post-COVID, internet usage in the Philippines has increased significantly,” he adds. “So the team went very heavy on TikTok, recruiting influencers to promote the film by performing their own versions of Ariel’s songs. That really drove awareness and word of mouth for the film, which culminated in the strong opening.”
In the U.S., The Little Mermaid has continued to make a big splash, despite protests against Bailey playing Ariel and social media critics leaving negative remarks. The movie has earned over $257 million since its May 24 release, as box office analysts predict the film to top Aladdin‘s $355.6 million grossing.
Take a look at the trailer for The Little Mermaid below.
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