‘Woke’ Backlash Doesn’t Stop Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ From Massive Memorial Day Box Office Success
Press Association via AP Images
Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid made a big splash at the box office, with the fifth-biggest Memorial Day weekend film opening of all time.
A report by The Hollywood Reporter’s Pamela McClintock described the reboot of Disney’s 1989 animated hit as “swimming laps around the competition,” as the movie is “headed for an estimated four-day domestic debut of $118.6 million, the holiday’s fifth-biggest opening of all time, according to final weekend actuals.”
The film was attacked by commentators on the right like The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh over the decision to cast a Black actress, Halle Bailey, in the lead role of Ariel, when the original cartoon mermaid was portrayed with red hair and pale skin, and the film’s detractors encouraged social media campaigns to boycott the film.
These efforts “could be having an impact in Asian markets and elsewhere” overseas, the THR report noted, with the film starting off with a “disappointing $68.1 million from 51 markets for a projected global launch of $186.7 million through Monday,” and “drowned in China, opening to just $2.5 million.”
But the updated take on Ariel’s risky magical bargain to win over her prince was likely boosted by glowing reviews from critics and won over a broader and more diverse audience in North America, making up for the lagging overseas box office:
In North America, The Little Mermaid earned a promising A CinemaScore. It is the first 2023 summer tentpole to target females, who made up 68 percent of ticket buyers. The film is also drawing an ethnically diverse audience; 35 percent of ticket buyers so far were Black, followed by white (33 percent), Latino (23 percent) and Asian/other (9 percent). Black moviegoers overindexed in a major way, while white moviegoers underindexed.
Bailey reacted to the reports of the movie’s box office success in a tweet that said “thank you jesus,” followed by a series of smiling and heart emojis.
According to THR, the biggest Memorial Day opening box office of all time went to 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, with $160.5 million.
