Last night I had the chance to go see The Little Mermaid with my girlfriend and her two little nephews. Oneโs about to turn 6, the other one is 3. They both got scared three or four times throughout the film, one of them even start moaning saying that they wanted to go home. This only lasted a couple minutes though.
Now, thereโs a reason why Iโm telling you all of this irrelevant information that you donโt care about. Keep reading.
To add even more background contextโฆ
I really love skipping first week opening nights. Typically theaters arenโt filled up with people when I go watch a movie on the second or third weekend. Not that movie theaters are packed anymore on first opening weekendsโฆ But thatโs a convo for another day.
Last night the theater was packed. Very few seats available left.
This brings me to the first thought that Iโve been having since last nightโฆ
How Disney Really Gets Their Target Audience Right
Unless youโve been living under a rock, youโre probably well aware of the huge controversy The Little Mermaid has created amongst moviegoers ever since they announced that Halle Bailey would play Ariel. Because, how dare the kingdom of Mickey pick a black girl to play a princess.
No, seriously, Iโll stay out of the drama - even though it infuriates the heck out of me - but Disney, with this movie, has proven how they perfectly understand who their movie audience is.
They donโt give two craps about racist, woke-calling assholes on Twitter.
They know that the average family of four who are who drive most of the box office numbers show up to the movies to watch a good story. And that is what this new Little Mermaid movie offers. A good remake of the original classic in live action. Thatโs it! Thatโs all it takes!
I personally liked the movie. I was never a huge Little Mermaid fan growing upโฆ I was just not into the princess stories. But this was a fun, charming experience to sit through.
Although I will sayโฆ
The added screen-time was a miss in my opinion. Having to sit through a movie of over two hours with a 5 and 3 year olds is a big ask.
What Disney Can Learn From This
If you watched my take on stocks last year, you know Iโm a huge Disney fan. I think itโs the biggest moat in the entertainment business.
Itโs been challenging lately for them though.
COVID-19, a costly Disney+ (which I strongly believe will pay for itself in the long-run) and turbulent anti-woke environment with everything theyโve been putting out there lately are making things a bit hard for Disney.
But Disney has a track record of adaptability and innovation. Throughout its history, they have been able to successfully diversified its business, expanding beyond traditional animation and theme parks into areas like live-action films, consumer products, and now streaming. Disney has consistently delivered high-quality content that resonates with audiences globally, and they have a strong creative team capable of driving innovation and addressing the evolving demands of consumers.
The Little Mermaid is just another example of how Twitter noise is not real.
Families still care about good stories, and Disney wants to be there and deliver.