"Aladdin" star Mena Massoud has deleted his Twitter account amid backlash over comments he made about the upcoming live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid."
The 31-year-old actor, who starred alongside Will Smith in the 2019 live-action adaptation of "Aladdin," faced widespread criticism after saying that "The Little Mermaid" will not "cross the billion mark" but will "undoubtedly" get a sequel, the Daily Mail reported.
His remarks were in response to speculation that the Halle Bailey-led film would rake in around $115 million on opening weekend in comparison to the $112 million "Aladdin" made.
"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," he tweeted, according to the Daily Mail. "My guess is TLM doesn't cross the billion mark but will undoubtedly get a sequel," he added.
Outrage ensued, with some suggesting that Massoud may be harboring negative feelings over the fact that an "Aladdin" sequel never panned out and that his career never took off despite the film's success.
Others suggested that he took issue with Bailey's casting, which has had its fair share of controversy due to the star being Black.
Addressing the criticism she has faced in general over her casting, Bailey told Edition magazine: "Seeing the world's reaction to it was definitely a shock."
"But seeing all the babies' reactions, all the brown and Black young girls, really tore me up emotionally," she added.
"I feel like I'm dreaming, and I'm just grateful, and I don't pay attention to the negativity," Bailey further told Variety.
"I just feel like this role was something bigger than me, and greater, and it's going to be beautiful and I'm just so excited to be a part of it," she added.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Bailey noted that landing the role of Ariel "means so much."
"Ariel was one of my favorite princesses growing up, so it's a dream come true," she said. "I'm very excited and happy."