‘Aladdin’ star Mena Massoud quits Twitter over intense backlash following ‘The Little Mermaid’ comment

'Aladdin' actor Mena Massoud has deleted his Twitter account after facing intense backlash for a tweet that claimed the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid would not cross the billion-dollar mark at the box office.

Massoud's comment was in response to a tweet by The Hollywood Handle comparing the box office openings of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. "The Little Mermaid is tracking to earn $115 million on its domestic box office opening weekend', the tweet said. 'In comparison, Aladdin earned $112 million on its opening."

In his now-deleted response, Massoud said: “Our film (‘Aladdin’) 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 (‘The Little Mermaid’) doesn’t cross the billion mark but will undoubtedly get a sequel.”

Here is a screenshot of the tweet:

The tweet quickly landed Massoud in the eye of a Twitter storm, with fans quick to chastise the actor for his 'bitter' comments, questioning why he bothered making the comments in the first place. “Your film reached a billion but you’re still jobless", one user said. "Seems like you got other things to worry about.”

Another wrote, “I loved Aladdin and [it is] literally on top 5 of my most fave Disney remakes. Being pessimistic on a movie that hasn’t been out yet but praised by critics is just disappointing. I’m so disappointed in you."

Backlash towards Massoud appears to be particularly intense considering the fact that The Little Mermaid has already been the subject of heavy speculation following the announcement that a black woman would portray Ariel in the live-action film. Following the rush of criticism, Massoud swiftly deleted his Twitter account.

Starring Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King and Awkwafina in lead roles, The Little Mermaid will hit theatres on May 25, 2023.

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