The live-action remake following the Disney Princess Ariel, The Little Mermaid, was released this week in theatres. And unlike the mixed reviews from critics, it has received a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite being surrounded by several controversies, the film opened to $10.3 million from its domestic previews, and it is estimated to be the fourth highest-grossing Memorial Day box office weekend of all time.
Read More: The Little Mermaid Review – Wading Through a Sea of Mediocrity
The Little Mermaid’s Memorial Day Box Office Projections
The Little Mermaid is expected to be one of the most successful live-action remakes of Disney. It has opened to $10.3 million during its domestic previews. According to Deadline, the live-action adaptation seeing $38 million on Friday, is expected to cross the mark of $100 million by this weekend.
The Halle Bailey starrer is also expected to land between $120 million to $125 million by Memorial Day at the box office. A $125 million box office collection by the Memorial Day box office weekend would also make it the fourth film among the highest-grossing Memorial Day opening weekends.
Currently, Tom Cruise starrer Top Gun: Maverick ($160.5 million) is on the top, followed by the third installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise ($153 million) and Indiana Jones 4 ($152 million). X-Men: The Last Stand is at the fourth spot with a $122.8 million Memorial Day weekend opening.
With the aim to gross $125 million with a four-day opening, The Little Mermaid would take over as the fourth highest-grossing Memorial Day box office weekend. It would also take over Disney’s 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin, which had a $116.8 million Memorial Day box office opening weekend.
Netizens on The Little Mermaid’s Box Office Predictions
The Little Mermaid has been surrounded by controversies due to Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel. And as the studio released its trailer, many were not satisfied with the underwater CGI in the film, and the same criticism followed the film even after its release. And the drop in the film’s expected estimates in its opening weekend has caused the netizens to question it again.
even the man eating mermaids from pirates of the carribean look more ariel like than her pic.twitter.com/5JPYqaw4wc
— Chick (@pullu_edits) May 27, 2023
Globally not looking good
— Fred (@freddyx81) May 26, 2023
Honestly ppl be paying to see this c®️ap? Lmao 😂
— 𝗠𝗬𝗖𝗥🚫𝗙𝗧 (@IwasStrange_) May 26, 2023
It’s doing poorly overseas, and it will drop off next week. It figured it would make around 110 million.
— ForTheBirds (@RamenTumbleweed) May 26, 2023
Of course it will have a good opening weekend.
It’s what happens after that will prove it’s 🗑️
— Flint_Lockwood (@DaronCDavis) May 27, 2023
It will falloff after the weekend
— Zagreus (@1zagreus) May 26, 2023
One user compared Bailey’s Ariel to “the man-eating mermaids from Pirates of the Caribbean,” saying that they “look more Ariel-like than her.” Others pointed out how the film is doing poorly overseas and claimed that the film would see a drop in the following weeks as well.
The Little Mermaid is playing in theatres.
Read More: The Little Mermaid (1989) Revisited – The Queer-Coded Princess That Birthed A Renaissance
Source: Discussing Films
