Based on the review-bombing campaign against Peter Pan & Wendy getting so bad that Rotten Tomatoes was forced to step in and temporarily remove the movie’s user ratings from public view, it’s inevitable that The Little Mermaid will be subjected to the exact same treatment when it comes to theaters in less than two weeks.
The latest in the Mouse House’s never-ending line of blockbuster do-overs has been coming under heavy fire ever since it was first announced for a number of reasons that range from outright racism to concern over the nightmare-inducing CGI versions of the beloved supporting players, but now one of the studio’s own former stars has turned against his maker.
Mena Massoud famously took top billing over Will Smith in Aladdin, and will always have the accolade of headlining a billion-dollar smash hit on his resume, even if his career has failed to reach the same heights since. In what may have been sour grapes mixed with frustration, the actor ended up leaving Twitter altogether after deactivating his account in the aftermath of firing a shot at The Little Mermaid‘s chance of joining the 10-figure club.
The 31 year-old responded to talk Rob Marshall’s aquatic escapade could match Aladdin by stating that “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. My guess is it doesn’t cross the billion mark but will undoubtedly get a sequel.”
Aladdin technically has a sequel out there somewhere in development hell, but it remains on the back burner for now. The Little Mermaid is already tracking to exceed the opening weekend of Massoud’s Disney endeavors, so we worry how salty he’s going to get if it source past it on a global level, too.