Disney’s highly anticipated live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” has made a promising splash at the box office, raking in $10.3 million during its preview showings. The film, which is set to open in 4,320 theaters on Friday, has already secured the seventh-highest preview earnings for a G- or PG-rated movie. Additionally, it earned an additional $850,000 from early access screenings held on Wednesday.
Starring the talented singer and actor Halle Bailey as Ariel, “The Little Mermaid 2023” is projected to have a stellar opening weekend, with estimates suggesting it could earn around $100 million. Considering the extended Memorial Day weekend, the film’s total over the four days is expected to reach between $120 million and $125 million.
Disney has had remarkable success with its live-action remakes, and “The Little Mermaid” is anticipated to follow suit. For instance, the 2019 photorealistic and computer-animated remake of “The Lion King” made a roaring $191 million in its opening weekend, starting with $23 million from previews, and eventually surpassed the $1 billion mark globally. Similarly, the live-action version of “Aladdin” opened with $117 million over the Memorial Day weekend, including $7 million from previews, and also crossed the $1 billion milestone.
Nonetheless, Disney has had a few missteps with its remakes. The live-action adaptation of “Mulan” faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and opted for a release on Disney+ through Premier Access. Furthermore, “Pinocchio” and “Peter Pan & Wendy” were exclusively released on Disney+.
With a budget of approximately $250 million, “The Little Mermaid” aims to reclaim the box office glory enjoyed by Disney’s successful remakes. It is expected to easily secure the top spot, surpassing last week’s champion, “Fast X.” The Universal action sequel had a lukewarm opening with $67 million and is projected to earn around $27 million to $30 million in its second weekend.
The star-studded cast of “The Little Mermaid 2023” includes Melissa McCarthy as the villainous sea witch Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs lending his voice to Sebastian the crab, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder the fish, and Awkwafina as Scuttle the seabird.
In other box office news, Lionsgate’s low-budget comedy “About My Father,” featuring Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, earned $285,000 from previews and is expected to generate $5 million in its opening weekend.
