In recent years, Disney has been actively remaking its classic animated films in live-action format. Many of these films have generated significant profits, such as Aladdin (2019) and The Lion King (2019), which grossed $1.05 billion and $1.65 billion, respectively. However, several productions have sparked controversy and even led to losses, as seen with The Little Mermaid (2023).
According to Forbes statistics, The Little Mermaid (Vietnamese title: Nàng Tiên Cá) caused Disney to incur a loss of $5 million (nearly 123 billion VND). The primary reason for this loss is that the film’s budget ballooned to $355.1 million during production, which took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The film earned $570 million at the box office, but had to share 40% with the distributor, not to mention other substantial marketing costs.
This movie is a live-action adaptation of the classic The Little Mermaid from 1989, which originally brought in $235 million against a budget of only $40 million and won two Academy Awards. The 2023 version stars Halle Bailey in the lead role of Ariel. The entire cast of underwater characters, including Sebastian (Daveed Diggs) and Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), are also computer-generated, contributing to the film’s higher production costs.
Moreover, The Little Mermaid has also sparked significant controversy regarding the casting of a Black actress as Ariel. Many viewers believe that the film still relies heavily on Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale, which features a character that is typically depicted as having white skin. Additionally, the movie has faced criticism from some researchers who argue that it misrepresents marine life in various regions by depicting them in the same frame.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a low critics’ score of just 67%. Some media outlets have described The Little Mermaid as a dull remake that lacks the vibrant musical performances essential to the animated classic. While audience ratings are more favorable at 94%, many users have criticized Rotten Tomatoes for censoring negative reviews, leading to a score based on fewer than 10,000 ratings.
