The Little Mermaid may have bombed in some key movie markets in Asia, but in the Philippines, it has been a splashy success. Disney’s live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic is currently the biggest blockbuster of the year in the Southeast Asian country, having earned $5.8 million and surpassed Hollywood’s two biggest global hits of the year: Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($2.2 million) and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 ($4.7 million).
“The Philippines, obviously, is a standout market for us,” says John Hsu, Disney’s senior vp studio business in Asia Pacific. “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,” he says.
Elsewhere in Asia, the picture hasn’t been so bright. In the vastly larger markets of China and South Korea, The Little Mermaid has majorly underperformed amid a racist backlash on social media over the casting of Black actress Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel. The film has earned just $3.6 million in China and $5 million in South Korea — a fraction of what other Disney live-action remakes have grossed there. The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019) were outright blockbusters in China, earning $150 million and $120 million. In South Korea, Aladdin (2019) took $91 million and Beauty and the Beast (2017) brought in $37.5 million. Disney has declined to comment on The Little Mermaid‘s performance in those countries.
In the Philippines, not only were such negative elements absent, but Bailey’s performance was widely embraced by Filipino filmgoers, according to Hsu. “They really loved Halle Bailey’s performance as Ariel, and they really liked her as the new princess,” he says.
“The Little Mermaid is a notable standout for the Philippines market this year,” says Rance Pow, president of Artisan Gateway, an exhibition industry consultancy specializing in Asia. Pow points out that the film is doing better than any other Hollywood fare this year, but it still won’t reach the heights of other Disney live-action remakes released in the Philippines pre-COVID — Aladdin earned $11 million there, and The Lion King took $10.2 million.
“This might be because the Philippines is still re-ramping,” as the theatrical market continues to recover post-COVID, Pow says.
