Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid received massive support over the holiday weekend, making it the fifth-best opening weekend for Memorial Day.
variety report The romantic musical about a lovestruck mermaid reportedly grossed $118 over four days.
Hal Bailey stars as Ariel and Rob Marshall directs the film, which stars Melissa McCarthy as the evil sea witch Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King and Javier Bardem as the swooning Prince Eric. playing a role. Ariel’s opposing father, King Triton, Norma Dumezweni as the Queen Mother, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, David Diggs as Sebastian, and Awkwafina as Scuttle made voice appearances.
The update was met with backlash on social media over Bailey’s casting — what do you call them? Oh yeah, haters obsessed with Ariel being depicted with white, fiery red hair. But real life is different than Twitter, and so is the box office, and the film will be one of Disney’s biggest successes in recent years.
“It’s a classic,” Disney distribution chief Tony Chambers told Variety. “When I ask many women and men my age, their favorite animated movies are The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. It’s a story that takes you back to the old days, and for many, this film is the perfect opportunity to pass that love on to the next generation.”
The film cost $250 million, so it needs to prove it can stay afloat over the summer, but its $68.3 million sales from the international market are swimming rather than sinking. Another good sign that
Following the hit of “The Little Mermaid,” Disney may release more live-action adaptations of the classic in the near future.
Halle Bailey on How Playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid Changed Her (Exclusive)
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According to projections, the box office for the rest of Memorial Day weekend is as follows:
(1) “The Little Mermaid,” $118 million
(2) “Fast X,” $28.7 million
(3) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, $20 million
(4) “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” $6.3 million
(5) “The Machine,” $5.8 million
(6) “About My Father,” $5.3 million
(7) “Kandahar,” $3 million
(8) “You Heart My Feelings,” $1.8 million
(9) “Evil Dead Rise,” over $1 million
(10) “Book Club: The Next Chapter,” $1 million
