Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has made waves at the global box office, surpassing $500 million at the global box office. But, because this is Disney we're talking about, there are rumblings that the House of Mouse isn't happy with the performance.
Amidst the success, Disney faces broader economic challenges, with losses on recent studio releases and a bevvy of missed opportunities in content licensing. The company is undergoing a strategic reorganization and cost-saving measures while navigating legal battles and adapting to the evolving entertainment landscape.
To be clear, The Little Mermaid remake has been a steady former over the course of the past four weeks. Despite falling way short in Asian markets like Japan, South Korea, and China, the film ranks as the fifth-biggest Hollywood release of the year worldwide. However, it remains to be seen if the movie can recoup its reported $250 million production budget with marketing likely costing as much, a benchmark typically required to break even for films of this scale.
Disney hasn't had a live-action remake make over a billion since Aladdin in 2019 with Mulan infamously grossing only $70 million back in June 2020.