The Little Mermaid has been a divisive live-action adaptation of the Disney animated classic. While the movie has proven to be controversial, it did very well during its opening weekend surpassing box office estimates.
A new article by The Hollywood Reporter revealed that The Little Mermaid grossed $117.5 million during its four-day Memorial Weekend debut. This makes the Halle Bailey-led remake the fifth-biggest opening on Memorial Day weekend.
The three-day ticket sales in the US reached an estimated $95.4 million with the film pushing toward the $120 million mark on Saturday. The weekend total will be updated on Tuesday when theaters report their earnings.
The Little Mermaid’s US domestic debut dislodges Fast X from the top spot. The Vin Diesel-led movie currently sits in second place in the North American box office charts.
While the movie is doing well in the US domestic box office, its overseas performance is a different story. It opened to just $68.1 million for 51 markets. This is a far cry from the projected $185.6 million earnings of the movie.
The movie’s premiere was very disappointing in China, grossing just $2.5 million. Industry experts believe the poor showing in the global market may have something do to with the social media campaign against the casting of a Black actor as Ariel.
Fast X still rules the Chinese market this weekend grossing $17.6 million. The movie’s cumulative total in China is now close to $110 million.
The Little Mermaid received an A CinemaScore which may have helped its performance in the US domestic box office. Critics praised Bailey’s performance as Ariel despite all the negative comments on social media. Disney is reportedly not worried about the impact of the backlash on the movie’s box office performance.
The film is the first big blockbuster for 2023 targeting female viewers. The audience for the movie in the US was reportedly composed of 68 percent females. The film also drew a diverse audience with 35 percent of viewers being Black, followed by White (33 percent), Latino (23 percent), and Asian/other (9 percent).
Top Gun: Maverick had the biggest Memorial Day opening with $160.5 million with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End following coming in at second place with $153 million. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($151.9 million) and X-Men: The Last Stand ($122.9 million) round out the top four.
Suffice to say, The Little Mermaid isn't swimming its way to a billion at the global box office anytime soon.
