Is ‘racist backlash’ drowning ‘The Little Mermaid’ overseas, or is the answer not that simple?

Despite considerable backlash for everything from a Black mermaid, to poor visual effects, to the detested practice of review bombing, The Little Mermaid has nevertheless held its own in the United States. But to make a clean profit, it needs to perform well globally — a Herculean task it is finding particularly hard to fulfill in a few countries. Some news outlets have blamed racism as the culprit for Disney’s box office disappointment, but have been called out for citing the wrong cause. So what is the real reason behind Ariel and company’s poor performance overseas?

A few days ago, The Hollywood Reporter blamed racist backlash for The Little Mermaid’s bombing in Korea and China, as an industry insider confessed that they were not expecting “the racist reaction and therefore, for the picture to underperform internationally.” But it didn’t take much time for a few cinema lovers to claim this report was faulty, and lay out how Korea’s box office was majorly dominated by the rousing success of The Roundup: No Way Out starring Ma Dong-Seok (Train to Busan). 

It has also been pointed out that other films led by Black characters have done well in South Korea and China in the past, including Black Panther 2 and the recently released Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. 

To be honest, we agree with the points put out above. This box office scenario has played out before, and you don’t even have to ogle the overseas box office to find the confirmation that a film which may have done well in the absence of competition, ends up sinking when another film snags a big chunk of its audience. There are other variables to consider when it comes to the Disney remake, too, especially the fact that it doesn’t excel in reeling in every demographic, and is majorly aimed at a specific age group (though it did hold a divisive appeal for this 28-year-old grandma right here).

But that doesn’t necessarily mean racist backlash hasn’t played a part in deciding how The Little Mermaid has performed

Yes, films with Black protagonists have done exceptionally well overseas. But with The Little Mermaid comes a deeply conditioned mindset that Ariel should be — no, needs to be white. While Disney cast Halle Bailey based on her talent, and did take a major step towards inclusivity with the decision, it has been frustratingly perceived by a number of Ariel lovers as the Mouse House’s attempt to give a makeover to their pre-conceived idea of a character. Why is this such a problem? Moviegoers can presumably take the Fast and Furious films seriously, even as they tamper with all manner of logic and sense, while evidently drawing the line at a world-popular studio making sure that every child out there knows that their merit and dedication, and not their race, decides what they eventually achieve. 

And it’s not like claims of The Little Mermaid being the target of racism have been woven out of thin air. Apart from IMDb putting an end to review bombing attempts, review aggregate websites and news publishing sites in their respective nations have been the source behind the said “disingenuous framing.” For example, Korea’s SBS News reported that the film has been subject to “ratings terrorism” and has received backlash for its “Black Mermaid.” Even before its release in Korea, Naver, the ratings portal, saw negative reviews getting more support and vice versa, though the score did eventually improve.  

Social media has been employed by many to express what they thought of Bailey’s casting — sentiments that were summarized in China’s tabloid Global Times, which said the casting represented “Disney’s forced inclusion of minorities in classic films” — had “caused a debate about representation in entertainment and highlighted the challenges of adapting beloved, traditional tales.”

This was also observed in France, where the film ratings website AlloCiné had to post a warning on The Little Memaid’s page in light of the suspicious number of negative reviews. 

“Currently, we observe on this film an unusual distribution of ratings which should invite caution. We encourage you to make up your own mind about the film.”

There are more examples, but you get the gist. 

But are review-bombing tactics and social media displeasure towards Disney for casting a Black actress the only culprits behind The Little Mermaid struggling at the international box office? Likely not; it did do well in other markets outside the U.S., and also, as I mentioned above, the film itself suffers from its weak points — such as iffy CGI, a few performances that aren’t as top-notch as Bailey and Melissa McCarthy’s, some middling songs, and the fact that it barely changes anything in the story beyond a few tweaks. 

Of course, there are other factors besides racism in the playground, and yes, these factors should be considered. But disregarding the racist targeting that The Little Mermaid has suffered wouldn’t change the fact that even after its release, a big part of the ongoing negative discourse comes from those unwilling to drop their disgruntled complaints about a Black mermaid.