Pre-sales for “The Little Mermaid” have only reached $13,000 after three days, indicating that the film would likely have the poorest opening weekend of any Disney release in China in 2023. The film opens on May 25.
Reports reveal that moviegoers in China don’t seem interested in seeing the live-action adaptation of the beloved animated blockbuster from 1989, according to tweets from Chinese box office watchers like Luiz Fernando on Sunday.
Fernando tweeted that there has been no response to the pre-sale of tickets for The Little Mermaid at China’s BoxOffice. After three days of pre-sales from May 25-28, Disney’s live-action film concluded SUN with a terrifying $13,000 total.
He even speculated it might be the most disastrous opening for a Hollywood blockbuster in China.
Reports show that until China relaxed its strict “Zero-COVID” policy and cinemas reported near-bankruptcy, it was difficult for Hollywood to have films distributed in China after the pandemic.
Initial assessments in America are mixed, and it’s still too early to tell how well Disney’s mermaid feature will fare elsewhere.
Los Angeles Times writer Justin Chang said that most of the on-screen action lacked originality and that the few deviations seemed to be driven less by a creative spirit than a depressing fear of failure.
Insider critic Kirsten Acuna wrote that although the film has some excellent work by Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey, it is a formulaic rehash that falls short of quality.
Fans of the animated version of The Little Mermaid have several complaints about the live-action remake, chief among them the exclusion of many memorable songs.
Many listeners’ hopes were dashed when they learned that certain songs wouldn’t merely be skipped over but would be substituted by others.
The soundtrack of the original film is frequently considered an essential part of the viewing experience. Fans are upset because they believe the story’s beauty and nostalgia will be lost if certain songs aren’t included.
“The Little Mermaid” will premiere in theaters on May 26th.
