The Little Mermaid may have bombed in some key movie markets in Asia, but in the Philippines, it has been a splashy success.
Disney’s live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic is currently the biggest blockbuster of the year in the Southeast Asian country.
It having earned $5.8 million and surpassed Hollywood’s two biggest global hits of the year:
Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($2.2 million) and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 ($4.7 million).
Elsewhere in Asia, the picture hasn’t been so bright. In the vastly larger markets of China and South Korea, The Little Mermaid has majorly underperformed amid a racist backlash on social media over the casting of Black actress Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel.
The film has earned just $3.6 million in China and $5 million in South Korea — a fraction of what other Disney live-action remakes have grossed there.
The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019) were outright blockbusters in China, earning $150 million and $120 million.
In South Korea, Aladdin (2019) took $91 million and Beauty and the Beast (2017) brought in $37.5 million.
Disney has declined to comment on The Little Mermaid‘s performance in those countries.