The Little Mermaid (The Little Mermaid) The 2023 version premiered for a week and grossed $352 million, including $187 million from the North American market. In fact, this is not the expected revenue when Disney’s budget to produce movies is up to 250 million USD.
In addition, Disney also spends a huge amount of money on promoting movies globally. As such, the film still has a long way to go to break even and then to think about profitability. According to experts, this is a bold move, a big test for Disney’s animated adaptations and many other films after so many failures.
Specifically, last summer, the prequel to the blockbuster Toy Story To be Lightyear was completely disappointing. The film brought in only $51 million domestically before grossing a mere $118 million in theaters. After this failure, Disney was forced to move Lightyear to online platforms to save the situation.
![Live-action Mermaid - Disney's daring test in the midst of an animation crisis - Photo 1. Live-action Mermaid - Disney's daring test in the midst of an animation crisis - Photo 1.](https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2023/6/6/photo-3-16859234040881022669938-1686057482949-16860574831211146998523.png)
More recently, the anime Strange World starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quad cost $200 million but received disastrous reviews. The film is also said to be one of the worst flops of 2022.
After several failed films, many pundits have blamed marketing lapses and audience confusion over Disney’s exclusive theatrical titles and streaming releases. Others say that animation seems to be showing signs of slowing down. However, this is not necessarily true when Minions: The Rise of Gru and The Super Mario Bros. Movie Universal’s is still “doing well” and even surpassing expectations.
In the midst of the animation crisis, Disney has found a new strategy, one that is more thorough in the content they produce. They seek to make a difference and this is where the live-action Mermaid is born, with changes from appearance to other small details. According to many viewers, Disney’s change was necessary to deliver a more civilized and contemporary storyline.
![The Mermaid live-action - Disney's daring test in the midst of an animation crisis - Photo 2. The Mermaid live-action - Disney's daring test in the midst of an animation crisis - Photo 2.](https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2023/6/6/photo-2-16859234023211830228431-1686057483605-16860574837091132296961.jpg)
Even Disney CEO Bob Iger affirmed Mermaid is a “high-performance art-house blockbuster” and is expected to be the catalyst for the future growth of Disney’s audience.
Disney’s move comes amid cost-cutting and restructuring plans, laying off more than 7,000 employees in February 2023. Disney shares are also down about 20% from this time last year. Therefore, despite facing many conflicting opinions, the Mermaid Being constantly discussed on social platforms is still a good thing for Disney in the face of a series of failed movie projects.