Disney's "Little Mermaid" remake flopped in China after it was released in the Chinese box office.
The movie remake arrived in China on May 26, as confirmed by Box Office Mojo. Unfortunately, the "Little Mermaid" only grossed just $3.6 million. This is very little compared to what the Hollywood film earned in the United States.
The estimated earnings of the "Little Mermaid" in the U.S. is more than $163 million. This includes the three-day opening of $95.5 million domestically and an international box office earning of over $68 million.
Now, why did the "Little Mermaid" remake flop Asian countries?
Disney's 'Little Mermaid' Remake Flops in China!
According to Express UK's latest report, Disney movies commonly earn between $40 to $85 million in Asian markets, especially in China and South Korea.
In the case of the "Little Mermaid" remake, it only grossed just $3.6 million in China dn just $4.4 million in South Korea. Many film enthusiasts said that the main reason behind this flop is racism in China.
Unlike the original cartoon movie, where Ariel is shown to be a white girl, the new "Little Mermaid" remake is quite different. This is because Disney decided to cast Halle Bailey, an African-American singer, as Ariel.
Although many fans were happy with the inclusivity initiative of Disney, there were those who were disappointed with the film studio's move.
Is racism to blame?
China is a country known for its reluctance when it comes to approving Western films, such as "The Little Mermaid."
Although Chinese officials allowed this new Disney film to be released in the Asian country, the flop showed that residents didn't accept the remake because of Disney's cast.
The Guardian reported that the "Little Mermaid" remake received 2.5 stars on Douban, a popular Chinese review site.
However, based on the Douban reviews, Chinese viewers were not really targeting Bailey's casting.
Instead, they are complaining about the movie's plot and execution. Because of this, it is hard to conclude if racism is really the main reason why the "Little Mermaid" remake failed in China.
Chris Fenton, an author who wrote the book about China and Hollywood titled "Feeding the Dragon," said that the difficulties faced by "The Little Mermaid" reflects a broader challenge for Disney in China.
"Hollywood has lost huge ground in the market in the past decade, but Disney, in particular, has faced some tough headwinds from Beijing in recent years," explained Fenton.
