Paloma Faith, a singer and actress in shows like Pennyworth and Dangerous Liaisons, watched The Little Mermaid over the weekend and is calling out the storyline.
“As a mother of girls I don’t want my kids to think it’s ok to give up your entire voice and your powers to love a man,” Faith shared in a now-deleted Instagram post that Metro caught. “Wtf is this sh*t. Not what I want to be teaching next gen women at all.”
The premise of The Little Mermaid revolves around a mermaid that wishes to live on land. After falling for Prince Eric, Ariel makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to use her powers to give her legs but in exchange, she has to give up her voice.
Although Faith was not keen on Ariel pursuing love, she did praise Halle Bailey who portrays the little mermaid.
“I think Halle gives a good performance and it’s great casting,” Faith said.
With Faith receiving major backlash for her comments over The Little Mermaid, many questioned how she was not aware of what the story was about. As it turns out, Faith was seemingly a fan of the animated version.
Back in 2009, Faith tweeted, “When I grow up, I want to be the little mermaid.”
May 30, 2023 at 09:27AM
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‘Pennyworth’ Star Paloma Faith Slams ‘The Little Mermaid’: “Not What I Want To Be Teaching Next Gen Women” - Deadline
Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little MermaidPhoto: Disney
Review bombing is a strange aspect of the state of cinema in the Internet age. The term refers specifically to the phenomenon of users posting negative reviews of a film in order to lower its average rating. Review bombers often haven’t seen the film that they’re negatively reviewing, or are reacting to an aspect of the film unrelated to that film’s actual content. For example, racists might review bomb The Little Mermaid live action adaptation because they don’t like that a Black actor was cast as Ariel.
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There are other reasons disgruntled Internet denizens might review bomb The Little Mermaid (general hatred towards Disney’s live action movies, or if you’re a Ron DeSantis supporter, general hatred towards Disney, period). Whatever the case, IMDb is on to the shenanigans. The Internet Movie Database website posted a warning attached to The Little Mermaid review page on the U.S., Canadian, U.K., Brazilian and Mexican sites.
“Our rating mechanism has detected unusual voting activity on this title. To preserve the reliability of our rating system, an alternate weighting calculation has been applied,” the note reads. On its FAQ page, the site explains, “Although we accept and consider all votes received by users, not all votes have the same impact (or ‘weight’) on the final rating. When unusual voting activity is detected, an alternate weighting calculation may be applied in order to preserve the reliability of our system.”
How exactly IMDb is weighing these reviews, and what considerations are being taken to decide which review is weighted how, is unclear. (In fact, IMDB declines to “disclose the exact method used to generate the rating” in order to “ensure that our rating mechanism remains effective.”) The Little Mermaid (2023) currently sits at a 7/10 rating on the site.
June 01, 2023 at 02:09AM
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The Little Mermaid: IMDb changes ratings after review bomb - The A.V. Club
With trepidation, I ventured out with my two daughters to watch Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid this weekend and was pleasantly surprised. I say trepidation because most of the Mouse House’s remakes have offered little to no value outside of a few stylistic flourishes and unnecessary changes to the overarching narrative.
Thankfully, The Little Mermaid stuck close enough to its animated counterpart, adding only a few stylistic flourishes. Sure, this approach also renders the picture completely obsolete — Why is a shot-for-shot remake of anything necessary? — but it also ensures fans will have less to complain about. Some of director Rob Marshall’s changes are superficial, while others flesh out the storyline in greater detail.
Upon witnessing the latest version of The Little Mermaid, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to compare and contrast the characters and specific situations between the live-action film and the beloved 1989 animated classic. Join me as I offer my opinion on which film excelled in its execution. Let’s delve in!
Atlantica
The original film kicks off with a fish escaping the clutches of Prince Eric’s crew and swimming towards the brightly colored mermaid kingdom Atlantica. It’s a magical moment bursting with color and life, leading directly to a musical concert that introduces Sebastian, King Triton, and Triton’s daughters.
Rob Marshall’s remake opens with a lengthy sequence that introduces Eric’s yearning for adventure, then heads into the ocean for a super serious meeting between Triton and his daughters, now leaders representing different regions across the globe. We never see the kingdom; for all we know, the Seven Seas consist of Triton, his daughters, and a talking crab. Also, the underwater world is a rather desolate place, which makes it easy to see why Ariel wants to ditch the ocean for a more spectacular life on land.
Triton
Speaking of which, my biggest complaint about The Little Mermaid 2023 is Triton, played by Javier Bardem with all the enthusiasm of a shark munching on cabbage. The actor portrays Triton as a fishy version of Anton Chigurh, lacking the twinkle that made Kenneth Mars’ Triton memorable and complex. Bardem is sorely miscast in the role. Though I’ll admit, it’s likely asking too much of any actor to portray an honorable king with a tail.
Ariel
This one is tough, and in a good way! Jodi Benson’s take on Ariel remains a high bar in voice acting and singing, her iteration boasting bright red hair and a wide-eyed sense of adventure. While Halle Bailey’s Ariel is a little more grounded emotionally, I thought she knocked it out of the park with her performance. She brings Ariel a sense of innocence and wonder and nails the various ballads sprinkled throughout the film.
As in the original, the character spends half the film without the ability to speak, and Berry still manages to convey a proper mix of naïveté, strength, and charm. Considering Ariel is beloved as a Disney princess, seeing a slightly new take that works is a minor miracle. Plus, considering their personal conflict, having her kill Ursula makes a lot more sense.
Ursula
I’m not the biggest Melissa McCarthy fan, but the actress was pretty great as Ursula. I’m not sure we needed the familial ties with Triton, but regardless, McCarthy captures the essence of Pat Carroll’s legendary villain, often sounding just like the late actress/comedian. Also, it was fun to see an irredeemable, out-and-out bad guy for a change.
Ursula wants to rule the seas, finds a way to barter with Triton, and executes her diabolical plan with near perfection. If I were choosing which take was better, this would be a wash. Sure, McCarthy mostly channels Carroll’s performance, but she does a great job in the part and somehow makes Ursula even more threatening.
Prince Eric
Kudos to everyone involved for trying to flesh out Prince Eric into more than just a blue-eyed sailor, but he’s not captivating enough to hold our attention. As portrayed by Jonah Hauer-King, live-action Eric yearns to sail the seas, collects ocean items, and seems to despise his heritage.
He’s not particularly princely, nor does he come across as heroic. He’s a nice guy who falls ass-backward into various situations and responds accordingly. At least animated Eric was noble, brave, determined, and not a pushover. Still, Hauer-King does interact well with Bailey and is at least charming enough to root for when the mermaid shit hits the fan.
Supporting Characters
Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian aside, I was underwhelmed with Ariel’s pals in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. Awkwafina’s Scuttle is mostly annoying, Jacob Tremblay’s Flounder doesn’t leave much impact, and Flotsam and Jetsam aren’t given any dialogue. And the new songs are pretty bad. I didn’t mind the realistic approach to the characters, but none match their animated counterparts, voiced by Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, and Paddi Edwards, respectively.
Moreover, for all its devotion to the cartoon, why cut the Chef Louis sequence, arguably the funniest bit in the 1989 film? I did appreciate Grimsby’s role in the live-action story — he’s devoted to Eric’s happiness and serves as his voice of reason — compared to the cartoon, where he’s just a stiff servant with nothing to do but offer snarky commentary.
The Set Pieces
As stated above, the opening of the live-action film is a letdown, but otherwise, Rob Marshall does a pretty good job with some of the more significant set pieces. The storm sequence is thrilling and the final battle is appropriately intense. Unlike Aladdin’s bland climactic chase sequence, the live-action version sticks to what worked with only a few minor tweaks.
An issue with the film overall is the pacing. Where the original zips by in a swift 80 minutes, the remake stretches everything out to 2 hours and 15 minutes. By the time we reached the big finale, my interest had waned somewhat, even though the sight of mega Ursula was still chilling.
The Ending
Finally, the ending in the remake leaves a lot to be desired. In the animated film, Eric and Ariel kill Ursula, restore order to the kingdom, and are promptly married. Ariel hugs her father, and we get the gist — everyone learned a valuable lesson and may now live happily ever after. The remake lumbers towards a confusing conclusion that sees Ariel and Eric depart on an exploration trip around the world or something.
After vanquishing the sea witch, Ariel heads back to her life underwater, then randomly appears next to Eric while he plays fetch with Max. They embrace and then head off to sea after Triton pushes their boat in what is likely the first example of a motorboat in the history of mankind. There’s no magic to the ending, which should have stuck closer to the original and let the kids marry. Also, this mermaid kingdom consists of about twenty people. The original at least allows Triton ride a wave to hug his kid before casting a colorful rainbow over the event.
June 01, 2023 at 05:00AM
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Comparing The Little Mermaid Live-Action and Animated Versions - Yahoo Entertainment
Tan France’s family just got bigger! The Queer Eyestar has welcomed his second child with his husband Rob.
France confirmed the arrival of their baby son on Instagram, sharing a photo of the family of four.
“Welcome baby boy #2, Isaac France, born this past weekend,” France wrote. “He completes our little family perfectly.”
The Next in Fashion host also shared a note of gratitude to their surrogate, writing, “And a huge thank you to our incredible warrior of a surrogate, for giving us the greatest gift one could ever give.”
Baby Isaac has big brother Ismail to keep him company. France and Rob welcomed Ismail in July of 2021 and recently shared that he suspects the 23-month-old is "going to get the shock of his life” when his baby brother arrives.
"All he knows is that he's obsessed with monster trucks and cars,” France told PEOPLE. “That's all he knows. He doesn't want to know anything else."
France also shared that he, too, has a big transition ahead of him. “I'm not prepared,” he added about the arrival of baby number two. “The only thing I'm prepared for is knowing that it's going to be difficult."
Courtesy of the France family Tan France and Rob France with their son Ismail
Despite this, he also admitted that he and Rob "were over the moon" to find out they would be having another baby.
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"It was the best feeling ever," said France. "I mean, it felt almost as shocking as the first time. I was overjoyed, in tears, I couldn't believe that it had finally happened again. It was just the most incredible feeling."
As for the baby’s name, France shared that he had known it for a long time. "I always knew these two names that I loved the most,” he told PEOPLE of Ismail and Isaac. “And so thankfully, Rob loves them also. We're on track to call our baby this name."
"So happy to finally share that WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!," he shared on Instagram ahead of the arrival of Ismail. "No, I'm not pregnant, despite this VERY realistic pic. With the greatest gift/help of the most wonderful surrogate, Rob and I are lucky enough to be on our way to being parents, this Summer. Something we've wanted for SOooo many years."
"Our hearts are so full right now,” France continued. “I cannot wait to hold this baby, and to show him so much love."
May 31, 2023 at 06:01PM
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Tan France Welcomes Baby Son Isaac: ‘He Completes Our Little Family Perfectly’ - Yahoo Entertainment
Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has been a hit with critics, but the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel has brought racists and alt-right critics out in force. And efforts to scuttle the film’s success has led one of the internet’s largest film sites to adjust its rating system for the film.
IMDb currently gives the movie a 7 out of 10 ranking, but of more than 33,000 user-submitted reviews, around 13,000 have it ranked as a one-star film in a clear review-bombing attempt.
“Our rating mechanism has detected unusual voting activity on this title. To preserve the reliability of our rating system, an alternate weighting calculation has been applied,” IMDb wrote in a note flagging “unusual activity” on the page. When that occurs, the site says, “an alternate weighting calculation may be applied in order to preserve the reliability of our system.”
To prevent that system from being circumnavigated, IMDb did not disclose its alternate method for generating ratings.
Review bombs are an increasingly large problem for review sites. Activists who object to some element of a film, or groups that want to see it succeed, flood review sites with positive or negative reviews, usually driven by bots, to skew the averages, in hopes of discouraging or encouraging others to view it.
Bailey’s casting as the character Ariel was praised by many, including Jodi Benson, the original voice of the cartoon character (who cameos with Bailey in the new film). Self-appointed culture police, though, loudly complained about the casting, insisting the character remain a Caucasian with red hair.
The attempts to review-bomb the film haven’t stopped audiences from going, however. The Little Mermaid topped the box office last week, with the fifth-biggest Memorial Day weekend opening on record, earning $95.5 million.
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May 30, 2023 at 11:07PM
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The smear campaign over ‘The Little Mermaid’ movie is so intense that IMDb had to revamp its rating system for the movie - Fortune
The Disney live action remake saw wide release on May 26, and since then it’s received over 32,000 ratings on IMDb where it currently sits at a 7 out of 10. Out of those, more than 13,000 gave the flick 1 star. A small notice at the top of the ratings page reads: “Our rating mechanism has detected unusual voting activity on this title. To preserve the reliability of our rating system, an alternate weighting calculation has been applied.”
According to IMDb’s FAQ, the site publishes “weighted vote averages,” and notifies that “When unusual voting activity is detected, an alternate weighting calculation may be applied in order to preserve the reliability of our system.” The site does not say what kind of mechanism it uses to rate movies.
Gizmodo reached out to IMDb for comment, but we did not immediately hear back. IMDb has posted this notice in the past for online film vote stuffing, such as with the Bollywood film The Kasmir Files which released in March. In that case, the film was garnering a heap of positive reviews and the mean user rating was weighted lower. Director Vivek Agnihotri complained the site’s review manipulation was “unusual and unethical.”
Other review sites have been hit with mass waves of anti-Little Mermaid sentiment. Deadline reported that the IMDb notice appears on the U.S., Canadian, UK, Brazil, and Mexican versions of the site.
The campaign is likely being driven by bots. As UK-based gossip columnist Rob Shuter told Fox 5, there’s a rash of negative The Little Mermaid reviews specifically targeting European sites.
The German site Moviepilot showed The Little Mermaid sitting at a .7 out of 10, though that’s since increased to 5 out of 10 over the weekend. Reddit users on the r/boxoffice subreddit noticed the french site AlloCiné also put out a statement similar to IMDb’s. The notice reads: “Currently, we observe an unusual distribution of ratings on this film, which should encourage caution. We encourage you to form your own opinion on the film.”
Review bombing is nothing new, and bigots are not squeamish about bombarding user review sites such as episode three of HBO’s The Last of Us which centered around a gay couple. There have been similar campaigns against Other sites try to excise this kind of rating manipulation by maintaining a pool of “verified” users to post scores. The Little Mermaid currently sits at a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, but that score is based on the “Verified Audience.”
May 30, 2023 at 09:56PM
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The Little Mermaid Gets Review-Bombed So Hard That IMDb Changes Rating System - Gizmodo
Chicago is a sanctuary city that has welcomed more than 8,000 new arrivals since 2022. Our city was caught off-guard by the influx of migrants, but city officials have done their best to manage the unpredictable flow by creating welcoming centers, documenting and tracking, lobbying for federal funds, and collaborating with existing social service providers.
We are in more than just a state of emergency. It is a humanitarian crisis and we need to rethink how we collaborate and assist the newly-arrived families and put them on a path to success.
What I am seeing on the ground in Little Village now is a hyperlocal approach that is working better than our initial response, and I think a lot of that is due to a shift in perspective. We have activated the COVID-19 response network that we built when our communities were being ravaged. This network was created out of necessity and while it has been dormant, we’re now returning to it, reusing a strategy that worked.
Approximately 150 migrants are now being housed at Piotrowski Park in Little Village. Of those migrants, there are 65 children, and 45 are school-aged. While the park is better than sleeping on the floors of police stations, it’s still a long way from stable housing and support services.
However, I am witnessing how local organizations, social service agencies, elected officials, the Chicago Public Schools, the Park District, and other city and state agencies are working together to problem-solve and think of longer-term solutions for the hundreds of families that are joining our community.
Hyperlocal organizing strategies have been successful specifically because of a strong network of support: a group of people who, regardless of where they work or who they work for, are familiar with and trust each other because of relationships fostered for many years. We update each other daily through group texting, and have weekly check-in calls to share what is happening on the frontlines.
Welcoming with open arms
It is not lost on me that the community’s willingness to welcome and help the migrants has made our collaborative efforts more successful in Little Village. When I visit Piotrowski Park, I see neighbors offering to assist the migrants and welcoming them with open arms because many of them are familiar with the realities we face when we first arrive in a new country, not speaking the language, and the overwhelming challenges of starting a new life.
Volunteers and mutual aid groups, local organizations, and Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd Ward) are supporting those at police stations and at the park district. They bring meals, conduct assessments, and coordinate additional services. As it gets warmer, they are also providing families with opportunities to join recreational activities and sports like baseball, soccer, and yoga. On Sunday, the kids joined other Little Village families at a petting zoo, and for pony-riding, and other activities. These opportunities provide children with a sense of normalcy through a stressful experience.
As an immigrant woman, this is a deeply personal issue to me and I have been able to support immigrants throughout my career — at social service agency Enlace, with the Illinois Latino Agenda and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and now as the director of the Little Village Portfolio at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
This is a time to lean on each other, tap into resources, and ask for additional support from all available avenues. We can’t simply focus on the immediate needs of these families, because they are here to stay. We need to think about long-term solutions and policies, and set our new neighbors on a path to success. As we work on housing migrants and finding spaces for them, we must prioritize and think critically about the communities they are joining. These families have traveled thousands of miles with the hopes of finding safety and creating a new life.
The Little Village model of hyperlocal collaboration can serve as an example for other communities, and hopefully our journey helps guide the decisions of our new Mayor Brandon Johnson and his administration as they think about new and creative solutions to address the crisis.
Katya Nuquesis director of the Little Village Portfolio at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. She has served as executive director ofEnlace, as a member of theIllinois Latino Agendaand as a former board member of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
May 31, 2023 at 03:30AM
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Little Village is a model for how to help Chicago's migrants build new lives - Chicago Sun-Times
Thirty-five years after the animated story of Ariel, a flame-haired siren of the sea who falls for a prince, charmed audiences, a live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” dominated the Memorial Day weekend box office. The Disney release is on track to debut to a massive $118 million over the four-day holiday, with $96 million of that coming over the three-day frame. It ranks as the fifth highest Memorial Day opening in history.
The film got a lift from many of the same moviegoers who first fell in love with Ariel when she flitted across the big screen in 1988, as well as from the generations of fans who weren’t alive when the original opened, but who were nevertheless weaned on the movie from its various appearances on DVD, television and, in more recent years, streaming.
“It’s a classic,” said Tony Chambers, Disney’s head of distribution. “You ask a lot of women or men of my age and it’s ‘Little Mermaid’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ that rank as their favorite animated movie. It’s a story that takes them back to their respective childhoods and this movie is the perfect opportunity for a lot of people to pass that love on to the next generation.”
The live-action “Little Mermaid” (and “live-action” is doing a lot of lifting here considering the sheer tonnage of CGI required to bring Ariel’s ocean home to life), was directed by Rob Marshall and stars Halle Bailey as the title character. Melissa McCarthy plays Ursula, the malevolent sea witch who steals Ariel’s voice in return for giving her legs and a chance to canoodle with the dreamy Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay and Daveed Diggs round out the ensemble.
All that watery magic didn’t come cheap. “The Little Mermaid” has a $250 million production budget, so it will need to keep attracting crowds around the globe in order to break even. Internationally, the film grossed $68.3 million from 51 material markets.
In the U.S. 68% of the audience was female, while 25% of ticket buyers ranged in age between 25 to 34. Kids accounted for 22% of the opening weekend crowds.
Disney has had success with the strategy of raiding its storehouses and putting a live-action spin on animated properties such as “Aladdin” (reconfigured with Will Smith as the Genie), “Beauty and the Beast” (with Emma Watson portraying Belle) and “The Lion King” (a triumph of green screen effects that had very little in the way of real animals on the savannah).
“This gives Disney the green light to keep mining its vault,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “With an opening this big, I think you’re going to keep seeing these live-action reboots.”
Elsewhere in the multiplexes, “Fast X,” the tenth mainline installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, continued to show signs of running on fumes, at least in the U.S. It’s estimated to bring in about $23 million in its second weekend and $28.7 million over the four-day holiday after launching to a soft $67 million. Stateside, the film has generated a disappointing $113.6 million. But Dom and his road crew are getting a much warmer reception overseas, with “Fast X” expected to cross the $500 million mark at the global box office this weekend, making it the third-highest grosser of the year. It needs to keep making money and lots of it. The latest chapter cost a knee-weakening $340 million to produce.
Disney’s “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” took third place with $20 million and an estimated $25.3 million for the four-day holiday, pushing its domestic total to a sizable $300 million. Universal and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” came in fourth with $6.3 million over the weekend and an estimated $8.3 million during the holiday period. Domestically, the movie has made a gargantuan $560.9 million after eight weeks in theaters. A sequel to the video game adaptation can’t come soon enough for theater owners.
Arthouse favorite “You Hurt My Feelings,” an A24 release that reunites the “Enough Said” team of director Nicole Holofcener and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, will open to $1.4 million over the weekend and $1.8 million through the holiday.
Not every studio had reasons to celebrate as a trio of new releases bombed. “The Machine,” an action comedy from Sony and Legendary starring stand-up Bert Kreischer, collapsed with $4.9 million over the weekend and $5.8 million over the four-day holiday. “About My Father,” based on the life story of another popular comic, Sebastian Maniscalco, also failed to draw much interest. The Lionsgate release eked out $4.3 million over the weekend and $5.3 million during the four-day holiday. And the Open Road and Briarcliff release of Gerard Butler’s latest action opus “Kandahar” sputtered with a measly $2.4 million over the weekend and $3 million during the four-day period.
At the box office this weekend the chasm between the hits and the flops was truly yawning.
May 28, 2023 at 11:01PM
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‘The Little Mermaid’ Dominates Memorial Day Box Office With $118 Million Debut - Variety
A couple with a little white cross in their yard are not hopeful a mediation session will bring a resolution to their fight to keep their cross at their home in The Villages.
Wayne Anderson of the Village of Tamarind Grove said the mediation session slated for 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 30 with his attorney and an attorney for Community Development District 8 is expected to last about four hours.
This little white cross is on display at the home of Wayne Anderson in the Village of Tamarind Grove.
It’s not clear what either side could offer to end the stalemate.CDD 8 maintains the little white cross is a lawn ornament and therefore its placement in the Andersons’ front yard is a violation of the deed restriction. Wayne Anderson and his wife Bonnie insist they will not remove their religious symbol. The two positions don’t appear to offer much room for compromise. A trial date has been set for Aug. 14.
The case dates back to 2019 when Wayne Anderson appeared before the CDD 8 board questioning why he had been singled out, when many of his neighbors also had little white crosses and were not ordered to remove their crosses. The Andersons were targeted by an anonymous complaint and contend they are the victims of “selective enforcement.”
The Andersons are facing thousands of dollars in deed compliance fines and CDD 8 has consistently remained mum on the legal tab it has accumulated in its war with the Andersons.
Since the Andersons’ case began, the anonymous complaint policy has been under siege. Community Development Districts 2 and 5 are no longer accepting anonymous complaints.
Do you think it’s time for surrender in the little white cross battle? Share your thoughts in a Letter to the Editor at letters@villages-news.com
May 30, 2023 at 05:59AM
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Villagers with little white cross not hopeful heading into mediation session - Villages-News
Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has proven to be a big success, making a big splash at the box office and drawing high scores with audiences. That leaves the door open for the House of Mouse to potentially pursue a sequel, much in the way the original animated film had done with its follow-up movie The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. The animated sequel could even serve as inspiration for where a follow-up to the live-action remake could go. But would the stars of The Little Mermaid be interested in returning as Ariel and Eric?
In the new film, Ariel is played by Halle Bailey alongside Jonah Hauer-King as Eric. Recently, the co-stars had spoken with Narcity about potentially returning for The Little Mermaid 2, and they both seemed to be interested. For Bailey, she would appear to be on board as such a big fan of the original animated verison of Back to the Sea. Meanwhile, Hauer-King also says he'd be up for returning, though he'd like to put on the added twist of letting Eric become a merman as well.
"In the second one, I think, do they become… what happens there?" Hauer-King initially responded to the question of a sequel happening.
"In the second one, they have a girl, a baby girl, and she wants to go into the water, it’s like a reverse thing," Bailey responded. "I love that movie."
Hauer-King then said back, "I would be up for doing it. I kind of would like to also be a merman, so, we can also somehow evolve that storyline, to go with her."
There hasn't been any real talk about a sequel happening to The Little Mermaid at this time, but anything can happen. When we look at the immediate financial success of the film, that certainly makes those prospects much more likely. Even so, it's hard to say for sure that The Little Mermaid 2 will definitely go into production. There had been early reports of Aladdin, another very successul live-action remake, getting a sequel, but star Mena Massoud has since cast doubt on that ever coming to be. However, a prequel to the remake of The Lion King is in active development, so perhaps it could go either way.
There's enough source material to turn this into a trilogy if that's what Disney wants to do. After The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Seawas released directly to video in 2000, a third installment of the series, dubbed The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, was released on 2008. That film was a prequel, taking place before the events of the original animated movie. Meanwhile, there was also an animated series adaptation that aired on television in the early 1990s.
Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King, is now playing in movie theaters everywhere.
May 30, 2023 at 05:14AM
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The Little Mermaid Stars Address Possible Sequel - MovieWeb
Ahead of The Little Mermaid's release in theaters Friday, Stephanie Mills shared an open letter she wrote to the film's star Bailey, 23, on Facebook, showing support for the actress following racist comments made against the actress online following her casting as Ariel in 2019.
Mills, who originated the role of Dorothy in the Broadway musical The Wiz back in 1975, compared her own experience playing Dorothy on the stage — and the "hate mail" she received as a result — to some of the negative attention Bailey's casting received for the new Disney live-action reimagining.
"I was told Judy Garland ‘is turning over in her grave,' " Mills, 66, wrote, referencing the star of the original 1939 Wizard of Oz movie. "All because a little black girl was playing a [role] that was once played by a white girl."
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Halle Bailey.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty
“It’s sad to see the same thing is happening to this beautiful, talented, smart and intelligent actress," the actress wrote of racist criticisms levied against Bailey.
"Halle, God put you in this place and time ... So let your light shine," she added in the open letter. "Hold your head up high, walk in your peace, and celebrate the greatness that you are.”
Mills received a Drama Desk Award nomination for her role as Dorothy in The Wiz's original production on Broadway; the show itself won seven Tony Awards in 1975, including Best Musical, per Playbill. Mills went on to reprise her role as Dorothy in a a 1984 revival of The Wiz, as well.
“They told me I would never make it on Broadway, they told me I couldn’t sing, they told me I was [too] dark, I have watched and listened to ‘they’ try to tell you why you shouldn’t and couldn’t," Mills wrote in her letter to Bailey, adding, "I am so proud of you and how you handled all the naysayers."
"We have never met, however I have been in your shoes. Baby girl, let them know that this #LittleMermaid is made of teflon," she finished in the open letter.
Bailey, for her part, has appeared graceful in ignoring the criticism, telling PEOPLE recently, "I don't really think about the naysayers."
"When I was able to see them, I felt like I was worthy," Bailey added. "Now that I'm on posters and inspiring these little girls that come up to me, it's very surreal. I just want to continue making them proud of me."
Halle Bailey.
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
Bailey added during her recent interview that she hopes "that the people who do go see this movie love it and leave the theater feeling happy because we all really collectively worked so hard on it."
"I know for sure I'm proud of it," she said.
Following its release on Friday, The Little Mermaid has thus far raked in more than $185 million worldwide, over Memorial Day weekend alone.
May 30, 2023 at 04:25AM
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Stephanie Mills Shows Support for 'Little Mermaid' Star Halle Bailey - PEOPLE
Universal Pictures’ Fast X cruised to another easy win at China’s theatrical box office over the weekend, earning $17.6 million for a cumulative total of $109.9 million.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid, though, is clearly sinking rather than swimming in the China market. The Rob Marshall-directed film, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, opened to just $2.5 million — on the far low end for Disney’s live-action remakes in China.
The Little Mermaid was outearned by a pair of holdovers and a new anime release. Local road comedy Godspeed, already a month in cinemas, added $6.8 million to a total that now sits at $145.4 million. Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 took $4.9 million for a $79.6 million cume. Japanese anime feature Sword Art Online The Movie opened to $3.8 million, with local ticketing app Maoyan forecasting it to top out in China with around $5 million.
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A little over a week ago, Fast X gave Hollywood its best China opening of 2023 — $51.1 million. The film slid 66 percent in its second frame, and Maoyan now forecasts it to finish out at just under $125 million. That’s a boffo showing for the new post-pandemic normal, but much less than recent installments in the Fast and Furious franchise have brought home from China. F9: The Fast Saga earned $216.9 million in 2021, which was down considerably from The Fate of the Furious‘ $392.8 million in 2017 and Furious 7‘s $390.9 million in 2015.
The Little Mermaid‘s China earnings are meek by any measure. Maoyan predicts the film will take only $4 million. Most of Disney’s live-action remakes have done far better. Cruella came in on the low end with $24 million in 2021, while others like The Lion King ($120 million, 2019) and TheJungle Book ($150 million, 2016) have done vastly better. Domestically, Mermaid is performing powerfully — studio estimates currently see a four-day Memorial Day debut of $118 million, the holiday’s fifth-biggest opening of all time.
U.S. studio product will continue flowing into China over the coming weeks. Sony’s Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse launches Friday, followed by Paramount’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts a week later. Japanese anime will also continue to be a staple at the Chinese multiplex, with both Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Sky Utopia and Studio Ghibli’s 1986 animated classic Laputa: Castle in the Sky releasing on Thursday.
May 29, 2023 at 10:12AM
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China Box Office: ‘Fast X’ Roars Past $100M, ‘The Little Mermaid’ Struggles to Stay Afloat - Hollywood Reporter
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