Here’s one proof that Filipinos love Disney: the Southeast Asian nation is currently the highest grossing market for the movie “The Little Mermaid”, earning US$5.9 million (approximately P326 million) as of June 28, 2023.

Vineet Puri, managing director of The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia, said The Little Mermaid’s strong performance in the Philippines holds steady across the Asia Pacific, with the Philippines being the third-highest grossing market in the region, right behind Australia and Japan.

"We are heartened to see Filipino fans’ connection with the live action remake of this beloved Disney classic, much like other Disney films with strong music soundtrack – including Frozen, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, which remain as the top three titles of the Philippines’ top 15 highest global box office releases of all time,” Puri told ABS-CBN News in an e-mail interview.

A remake of the 1989 animated tale of an underwater princess who gives up her voice in pursuit of true love on land, The Little Mermaid stars pop singer Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy.

• Movie review: Halle Bailey delivers as Ariel in 'The Little Mermaid'

To date, the movie has grossed more than $500 million on the global box office.

Puri said ‘The Little Mermaid’s’ musical element is a key draw for Filipino fans, with the song “Part of Your World” taking the number 1 spot on Spotify Philippines with over 13 million streams as of June 15.

Past Disney live-action remakes with strong music soundtracks also saw great success in the Philippines – including pre-pandemic releases like Aladdin (US $11 million or 608 million pesos) and Beauty and the Beast (US $13.4 million or 740 million pesos).

Puri also credits a strong social media campaign for The Little Mermaid's blockbuster success in the country. The company worked with a young set of content creators known in TikTok to spread the word about The Little Mermaid, specifically the film's iconic music.

"Trendjacking on the love of music and the passion for this beloved classic, we introduced an impactful marketing and social campaign in the Philippines that was anchored on music and nostalgia – effectively engaging local Disney fans across generations," he said.

"This is part of Disney’s global integrated marketing efforts and one of the many creative executions that we localized in the Philippines to great success. In just six days, the campaign gathered 10 million impressions and over 167,000 engagements."

Puri said Disney fans in the Philippines should keep a lookout for exciting Disney titles in the pipeline, with genres ranging from horror-comedy to fantasy, animation, action and more.

"We are always looking for new and innovative ways to engage with our audiences, and will keep exploring creative ideas to surprise, delight and connect with our Filipino fans for upcoming titles," he said.

Film releases for the rest of 2023 include:

• Haunted Mansion – July 26, 2023
• A Haunting in Venice – September 14, 2023
• The Creator – September 27, 2023
• The Marvels – November 8, 2023
• Wish – November 22, 2023

The Little Mermaid is still showing in Philippine theaters.

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more News on iWantTFC