Though The Little Mermaid hasn't made the biggest critical and commercial splash, the Disney live-action remake stays afloat thanks to surging video-on-demand (VOD) sales.
Per IndieWire, The Little Mermaid has become a popular viewing choice for movie lovers since its home video release, topping the VOD charts on iTunes and Google Play, which rank by the number of transactions made, and Vudu, which sets its order by revenue. Additionally, The Little Mermaid beat several notable summer blockbusters across all three platforms including The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Flash, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
The Little Mermaid's home-video performance is encouraging following a solid yet unspectacular theatrical run. The live-action adaptation of the titular 1989 animated movie earned $564 million worldwide on its $250 million production budget. The film was more popular domestically, with $297 million of its overall take coming across North American cinemas, a higher local gross than Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ($167 million) or Fast X ($145 million). While the film reportedly broke even, substantial VOD returns could help the film's profit margin.
The Little Mermaid Was Met With Buzz and Controversy Upon Release
Considerable buzz and controversy surrounded The Little Mermaid before and after its release. Starring award-winning singer Halle Bailey as the titular mermaid princess Ariel, the movie faced racially insensitive commentary from fans who objected to Bailey's casting as the film's lead, with IMDb having to issue a warning regarding potential review bombing shortly after its premiere. Additionally, it received criticisms for its alleged "whitewashing" of history and for promoting outdated themes. The musical romantic fantasy film received mixed reviews from critics, with a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the movie has a 94% audience score on the review aggregator website, showing how much it holds weight with moviegoers.
The live-action version of The Little Mermaid puts a bit of a twist on the original as it sees Ariel long to see what life is like beyond the sea, visiting the surface and falling for the human prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). However, to further her growing bond with Eric and explore life on land, she makes a deal with the mischievous sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), putting herself and her loved ones at risk. The movie also stars Javier Bardem as Ariel's father, King Triton, and Noma Dumezweni as Eric's adoptive mother, Queen Selina.
Disney is currently developing Ariel for Disney Jr., a live-action spinoff series based on The Little Mermaid that's set to debut in 2024. Meanwhile, there is no confirmation as yet from Disney whether The Little Mermaid will receive a sequel.
The Little Mermaid is now available on VOD as well as on digital.
Source: IndieWire