Disney's Live Action The Little Mermaid

[Chi84]

So, I've been on the "Don't want to see this for a while," and my reasoning has always been I'm sick of these remakes that are basically the same movie (taking away stuff like Cruela and Maleficent here). I know among friends, I'm not alone. SO, you asked what's different about this movie vs the others. I'm curious if others are like me and just sick of this type of movie, or if we need to dig deeper into reasoning.

Long story short, I'm wondering if this is the start of a trend of people being sick of the remakes, but we won't know if that's the case without some more movies to check against.

The following quote clearly indicated that the poster found something different in this remake as opposed to the other remakes. That is why I asked about the difference.

For perspective, here is how similar live-action remakes performed in this Disney fanatic market (not adjusted for inflation to help TLM):

Alice in Wonderland: $134M
Beauty and the Beast: $111M
Aladdin: $112M
The Little Mermaid: $25M estimated

I leave it up to the reader to determine what is different in this particular remake compared to its much more successful predecessors of remade beloved Disney animated classics.

I didn't find anything significantly different - in fact I liked it better than the others. You think the difference may be that people have suddenly become tired of live-action remakes, but that doesn't seem to be what was being advanced by the above quote.

 

[Smugpugmug]

So, I've been on the "Don't want to see this for a while," and my reasoning has always been I'm sick of these remakes that are basically the same movie (taking away stuff like Cruela and Maleficent here). I know among friends, I'm not alone. SO, you asked what's different about this movie vs the others. I'm curious if others are like me and just sick of this type of movie, or if we need to dig deeper into reasoning.

Long story short, I'm wondering if this is the start of a trend of people being sick of the remakes, but we won't know if that's the case without some more movies to check against.

Your reasoning is exactly why I chose not to go see this in theaters. I am sick of these films and would prefer if they weren't made. I do plan on checking it out when it's available for streaming (I heard it's out already or is that not true?) so I'll post my thoughts. I don't have a lot of nostalgia for the original but for me there's a reason why these films are animated. So much is lost when it makes the transition to live action (not specifically referring to this film. I believe that's the case in general for live action remakes of animated works).

Also, hi. Have been reading this thread for months. It's been a wild ride, that's for sure.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Had to take a shot, huh?

Oh noble crusader


From a ideological point? No
Business? Then it gets difficult

But look at it the other way: if the business fails hard…as it’s begun to…the progress slows or dies.

Think that’s worth it for a little mermaid remake and a stupid Indiana Jones?

I don’t.

If the film comes close to breaking even (it is) then, yes, 100% worth it both currently and in future goodwill, let alone profits.

 

[LSLS]

The following quote clearly indicated that the poster found something different in this remake as opposed to the other remakes. That is why I asked about the difference.

I didn't find anything significantly different - in fact I liked it better than the others. You think the difference may be that people have suddenly become tired of live-action remakes, but that doesn't seem to be what was being advanced by the above quote.

True, more stating from my point of view I guess that I don't think you can make that determination of what was different yet. I do get what you are getting at with what he said though, and I'll definitely let him defend what he is saying there.

 

[Disstevefan1]

If D+ doesn’t pay Disney for content, the streaming service is almost certainly turning a tidy profit. You get that, right?

I get it, it's just where TWDC wants to show the losses.

The losses need to be shown somewhere.

I think all they need to do is tighten the budgets of the all the content they create.

 

[Jedijax719]

I'm guessing a D+ date announcement is imminent?

 

[MisterPenguin]

I get it, it's just where TWDC wants to show the losses.

The losses need to be shown somewhere.

I think all they need to do is tighten the budgets of the all the content they create.

Losses will definitely be seen at the end of the movie's run in the theatrical window.

Then there are the digital windows, which on Disney's ledger, can push some films which lost a little in the theatrical window, to become actually profitable for them, on the books.

Then there is D+ paying for the content. Which could make a moderate loss become a profit on the books, thanks to D+'s monthly subscriptions.

Then there is D+ paying for the content which will not make up for the theatrical loss because the theatrical loss was way too big.

But all we see is the snapshot of profit/loss at the end of the theatrical run. And even then, what we see isn't exact and is based on the vagaries of a 'rule of thumb.'

 

[Chi84]

Apparently, the sarcasm was confusing, let me be more clear.

We have been discussing for months how a race swapped Little Mermaid would play in Asian markets, especially Japan, and predicted a market rejection of the concept.

As expected, the box office results confirmed this with an 80%+ drop from previous remakes without this issue.

Although Asia was the easiest prediction, the entire international response to the film has been weak leading to one of the worst international to domestic ratios for any Disney tentpole in years.

There was no sarcasm that I could detect. I saw the film and didn’t come away with the idea that there was “race-swapping.”

The seven daughters of King Triton represented the seven seas of the world and the mermaids took on the characteristics of the nations nearest their waters. It explains the Caribbean look of Ariel because of the location.

Maybe if people would actually take the time to see the movie they wouldn’t be so offended by such a natural choice.

If you’re saying that Disney took a hit by making this casting choice because of racist reactions, then I agree that looks like what happened.

 

[DKampy]

There was no sarcasm that I could detect. I saw the film and didn’t come away with the idea that there was “race-swapping.”

The seven daughters of King Titon represented the seven seas of the world and the mermaids took on the characteristics of the nations nearest their waters. It explains the Caribbean look of Ariel because of the location.

Maybe if people would actually take the time to see the movie they wouldn’t be so offended by such a natural choice.

If you’re saying that Disney took a hit by making this casting choice because of racist reactions, then I agree that looks like what happened.

which is why I never understood the issues… in my head even the animated The Little Mermaid always took place in the Caribbean

 

[Disney Irish]

The Little Mermaid Swims to the Top of VOD Charts

Disney's Little Mermaid remake is topping the VOD charts after its digital release.

movieweb.com

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I'm guessing a D+ date announcement is imminent?

I would expect a late September release date.

Guardians had an almost ~90 day from theatrical to D+ window.

TLM just dropped on VOD and is coming to DVD on September 19th. Maybe they'll release it to D+ around the same time, but I don't think before. It seems they want to pump as much cash out from the post-theatrical window as possible.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If the film comes close to breaking even (it is) then, yes, 100% worth it both currently and in future goodwill, let alone profits.

Failure is failure…there are no profits

If you say they walk away in no worse of a positions because of some merch sales? Ok…that’s acceptable.

But the film did not succeed. It’s a numbers game

And before we get another round of “but…but!…”
Check the tally and compare it to a MINIMUM $640 it would need to make a penny. It’s well short…there’s nothing significant coming.

Doneski

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The Little Mermaid Swims to the Top of VOD Charts

Disney's Little Mermaid remake is topping the VOD charts after its digital release.

movieweb.com

Great! Loser at the box office and not meeting Disneys profit motives at all…

…but great

 

[Disstevefan1]

I would expect a late September release date.

Guardians had an almost ~90 day from theatrical to D+ window.

TLM just dropped on VOD and is coming to DVD on September 19th. Maybe they'll release it to D+ around the same time, but I don't think before. It seems they want to pump as much cash out from the post-theatrical window as possible.

I am a charter member of D+ and yes, I purchased digital copies of both Guardians and TLM.

Yes, I am drinking Mickey’s cool Aid.

But I still reserve the right to complain when I see TWDC do something I do not like

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If there is evidence that this current version of The Little Mermaid is driving significant merchandise sales anywhere in the world, I would be fascinated to see it.

There wasn’t much of it to start…which was a bit of a warning sign

But I saw clearances tags and no restocks a month ago. Just my anecdotal local experience

 

[Disstevefan1]

If there is evidence that this current version of The Little Mermaid is driving significant merchandise sales anywhere in the world, I would be fascinated to see it.

I don’t know about merch in the parks, but there are YouTubers out there showing that merch for any/all Disney films are not flying off the shelves

Click here

 

[Disney Irish]

Great! Loser at the box office and not meeting Disneys profit motives at all…

…but great

It shows there is continued interest for it outside of the theatrical release.

And that means that there is potential revenue outside of the theatrical release. Will it be enough to push it over into profitability territory, I don't know, but neither do you. So yeah it didn't move into profitability at the box office, but if that was the only deciding factor of success Disney would have folded up shop long ago.

 

[TP2000]

If there is evidence that this current version of The Little Mermaid is driving significant merchandise sales anywhere in the world, I would be fascinated to see it.

I have been tasked with doing a Target run later today. I'll report back on what the toy aisle looks like and we can call that the North Coastal San Diego Suburbs Region Report: Fiscal Week 43.

I've learned to judge how pop-culture trends are going by what costumes show up on my porch on Halloween, and what the toy aisle looks like at Target. It's alarming yet impressive how accurate those two data points can be.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Apparently, the sarcasm was confusing, let me be more clear.

We have been discussing for months how a race swapped Little Mermaid would play in Asian markets, especially Japan, and predicted a market rejection of the concept.

As expected, the box office results confirmed this with a disastrous 80%+ drop from previous remakes without this issue.

Although Asia was the easiest prediction and was disproportionately worse, the entire international response to the film has been weak leading to one of the worst international to domestic ratios for any Disney tentpole in years.

Are you thinking western countries found different reasons to have a problem with it, or the same main reason just in a smaller percentage?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

It seems they want to pump as much cash out from the post-theatrical window as possible.

Yep. That’s their job.

Failure is failure…there are no profits

If you say they walk away in no worse of a positions because of some merch sales? Ok…that’s acceptable.

But the film did not succeed. It’s a numbers game

And before we get another round of “but…but!…”
Check the tally and compare it to a MINIMUM $640 it would need to make a penny. It’s well short…there’s nothing significant coming.

Doneski

Then why did you ask the question?

Again, I say yes, it was worth it.

This little embarrassing blip of history where people are declaring “not my Ariel,” will pass, and we will be left with a film like few others currently in existence for kids to see we are all the same. 100% worth it.