‘The Little Mermaid’ faces backlash due to casting controversy

Disney’s live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” is experiencing a challenging reception in select foreign markets, as a racist backlash over the casting of Black actress Halle Bailey in the lead role of Ariel dampens its performance.

In its first 10 days of release, the film grossed a disappointing $3.6 million in China, marking it as the weakest showing among Disney’s live-action adaptations in the country. Similarly, it is struggling to find an audience in South Korea, where it has earned $4.4 million as of June 4, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel has ignited a particularly strong social media outcry in both China and South Korea. Sources suggest that this has led to unverified audience reviews criticizing the movie. In South Korea, these reviews have even made headlines.

China has also seen negative audience reviews proliferating on social media platforms. Prior to the film’s release in the country, the government-affiliated publication, The Global Times, published an editorial criticizing Disney’s motives.

The editorial argued, “The controversy surrounding Disney’s forced inclusion of minorities in classic films is not about racism, but its lazy and irresponsible storytelling strategy.”

The op-ed raised questions about whether Disney’s commitment to “political correctness” is driven by financial interests or genuine concern for representation.

Director Rob Marshall addressed the casting decision, stating, “She immediately set the bar so high that no one surpassed it. We saw every ethnicity. There was no agenda to cast a

woman of color. It was really just, ‘Let’s find the best Ariel,’ and Halle claimed the role.”