Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid might not have landed with some parts of the world and certainly offended others, but that hasn’t stopped Halle Bailey’s Ariel from swimming straight to the top. The remake has become the biggest movie of 2023 in countries all around the world, especially the Philippines, who have stood apart from the rest of Asia to shower Bailey’s performance in well-deserved praise.
In the Southeast Asian country, The Little Mermaid has surpassed Hollywood’s two biggest box office hits of the year, earning $5.8 million as opposed to The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s $2.2 million and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s $4.7 million.
John Hsu, Disney’s senior VP of studio business in Asia Pacific had this to say: “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.”
On the other hand, in China and South Korea, The Little Mermaid wasn’t so well-received. In fact, the Disney property severely underperformed amid racist backlash specifically regarding Black actress Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel. Having earned just $3.6 million in China and $5 million in South Korea, The Little Mermaid took home a mere fraction of what other Disney live-action remakes have grossed. For some perspective on the matter, if we compared The Little Mermaid to The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019), both earned $150 million and $120 million, respectively, in China. Meanwhile, in South Korea, Aladdin (2019) took $91 million and Beauty and the Beast (2017) brought in $37.5 million.
Hsu went on to comment on how Filipino moviegoers were more welcoming of Bailey’s portrayal than other Asian countries. In fact, they embraced her with open arms. He said: “They really loved Halle Bailey’s performance as Ariel, and they really liked her as the new princess.”
In the U.S., The Little Mermaid continues to leave audiences of all ages spellbound, revitalizing a classic fairytale for new generations and old. Despite some instances of racism directed at Bailey, the statistics don’t lie, and the movie has grossed north of $250 million since its May 26 release. There’s a strong chance that The Little Mermaid could reach and overtake Aladdin‘s domestic haul of over $350 million.
In analysing the reasons behind The Little Mermaid‘s success in the Philippines, Hsu mentioned how the House of Mouse cleverly tapped into nostalgia during the marketing campaign. More specifically, “They did a comprehensive campaign across all media, but they really focussed on social media, leaning into the music, nostalgia and Princess Ariel,” he says. It is of significant note that Bailey’s rendition of “Part of Your World” immediately hit number one on Spotify in the Philippines and has accumulated over 13 million plays there.
The Little Mermaid is currently still showing in theaters, so if you haven’t yet seen it, consider this a sign that you should.