Aladdinstar Mena Massoud deleted his Twitter account after receiving backlash for his prediction about howDisney’sThe Little Mermaidlive-action remake will perform at the box office.
The Little Mermaidis the latest in a long line of past and upcoming remakes ofDisney’s animated classics.One of the most successful live-action remakes wasAladdin, which starred Massoud as the titular hero and grossed over $1 billion after opening with $116.8 million over the 4-day memorial day weekend in 2019.
RELATED:Agatha: Coven Of Chaos Star Teases Even More Details About The Show
However, anAladdinsequel has not entered production yet despite being in development for several years. Massoud previously expressed doubts about anAladdinsequel happening, and now his latest comments on the subject have landed him in trouble with fans online. “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 wrote on Twitter in response to a post byThe Hollywood Handle. “My guess is [The Little Mermaid] doesn’t cross the billion dollar mark but will undoubtedly get a sequel.” Massoud received criticism for his comments, prompting him to delete his Twitter account shortly after.
Massoud’s comments aboutThe Little Mermaidmight have stemmed from frustration over Disney’s inability to move forward with anAladdinsequel. This is not the first time Massoud has been candid about the double-standardAladdin’s success has faced. In December 2019, Massoud claimed he was not offered any roles or invited for an audition afterAladdindespite being the lead star of the billion-dollar film. It’s not like Massoud wasn’t putting his name out there, as the actoropenly campaigned for the role of Ezra Bridgerin a live-actionStar Warsproject.
Massoud’s expectations for his career and anAladdinsequel are arguably reasonable. It could be argued that theAladdinbrand andco-star Will Smithwere enough to draw in audiences regardless of who played Aladdin. However, considering Hollywood often greenlights and produces sequels to hit films quickly, some people understandably believe anAladdinsequel and Massoud’s career would have taken off immediately had the film’s cast been primarily white.
Still,The Little Mermaidis facing its own racist complaints, so Massoud’s comments were seemingly taken by some people as more unnecessary criticism. While Massoud may have a point aboutAladdinthat others agree with, perhaps everyone should be rooting for Halle Bailey’s success as Ariel in what will hopefully be a worthy retelling ofThe Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaidwill be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.
MORE:Star Wars: Disney Still Hasn’t Learned How To Handle The Franchise
