Aladdin received mostly positive reviews when it was released in 2019, earning over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Despite the live-action remake's success, lead star Mena Massoud has since struggled to break into Hollywood and, on multiple occasions, strongly hinted that institutional racism may be at the heart of his lack of opportunities. There's an understandable level of bitterness there, but the actor went a step too far for some on Twitter this weekend.
Responding to a fan about The Little Mermaid's chances of box office success, the Aladdin actor shared a take which quickly saw the Disney fanbase make their disappointment known to him.
"Our film was unique in that audiences went to watch it multiple times. It’s the only way we reached the billion-dollar mark with our opening," Massoud said. "My guess is ['The Little Mermaid'] doesn’t cross the billion mark but will undoubtedly get a sequel."
The implication here is that the upcoming remake will get a sequel because it features a Black female lead rather than a Middle Eastern male. This was an odd battle for the actor to pick, though he's clearly disappointed that Aladdin 2 still hasn't become a reality despite it looking likely for a while.
Regardless, the backlash to the Tweet was so vocal that Massoud has since deleted his Twitter account.
In The Little Mermaid, the youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart.
She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
The Little Mermaid stars singer and actress Halle Bailey as Ariel, Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder, Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Art Malik as Sir Grimsby, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, with Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
Helmed by filmmaker Rob Marshall, the movie opens in theaters on May 26, 2023.