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The film’s director, Rob Marshall, had previously refuted the idea that Bailey was hired for anything other than talent. “The controversy surrounding Disney’s forced inclusion of minorities in classic films is not about racism, but its lazy and irresponsible storytelling strategy,” it said, echoing views expressed on social media in China, Japan and South Korea. The publication also suggested Disney’s decision to cast Bailey was part of a wider effort to include minorities in studio productions, and be seen as “politically correct.” 'Little Mermaid' alleged 'review bombing' prompts rating system change by IMDb “The fairy tale that I grew up with has changed beyond recognition!” wrote another Maoyan user.

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On Maoyan, a Chinese movie review and box office tracking platform, one user said they were “puzzled” as “the ‘Little Mermaid’ in my mind is White.” Several others made discriminatory comments about Bailey’s skin color. On Douban, a popular Chinese movie review website, users scored the film just 5.1 out of 10. Globally, the film has now brought in an estimated $327 million, with $186 million of that coming domestically and $141 million driven by international audiences, according to Comscore.Ĭhina, the world’s second largest box office, has contributed a negligible amount.įans in mainland China have shared their objections to the movie online, mainly expressing disappointment with Bailey’s casting. The issue led IMDb last week to warn of “unusual voting activity” and tweak how it calculates the ratings. “The Little Mermaid” has also done well at the domestic box office, ranking as the number two movie over the past weekend, which is only its second so far in theaters, according to Comscore.īut on IMDb, the film has allegedly been hit by “review bombing,” a practice where users leave negative reviews on a title to try to lower its rating.

In the United States, young Black girls have hailed Disney’s decision, saying they feel represented on the big screen because of her titular role. The chilly reception came as viewers in both countries questioned the choice of Bailey as the star of the movie, a decision that has been celebrated elsewhere. Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' rakes in $117 million at the US box office on opening weekend

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