In one of the best results ever for a Memorial Day weekend release, Disney’s live-actionThe Little Mermaidgrossed $10.3 million in Thursday previews. This is substantially ahead of the $7 million that another recent Disney live-action remake,Aladdin, grossed in 2019.The Little Mermaidalso grossed around $850,000 from special Wednesday screenings, but this figure is included in the $10.3 million Thursday haul. This is the seventh-biggest preview gross for a film rated P or PG.
With this,The Little Mermaidis pacing to deliver a $120 million haul across the extended four-day weekend, putting it ahead ofAladdin, which opened to $116.8 million. That film, directed byGuy Ritchie, showed phenomenal legs over the summer, and ultimately grossed over $350 million domestically and more than $1 billion worldwide.The Little Mermaidis also pacing ahead ofAladdinin terms of pre-sales, but behind other Disney live-action remakes such asBeauty and the BeastandThe Lion King.
Directed byRob Marshall(Chicago,Memoirs of a Geisha,Mary Poppins Returns),The Little Mermaidhas received mostly positive reviews from critics, with starHalle Bailey’s performance being singled out, whiledeviations from the originalwere criticized. It currently sits at a “fresh” 67% score on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes. Collider’s ownRoss Bonaimecalled it “one of the rare live-action remakes that manages to capture that Disney magic” in hisreview.
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The original animatedThe Little Mermaid, directed byJohn MuskerandRon Clements, was released in 1989. The movie grossed $211 million worldwide, which is noticeably lower than the excellent $346 million that the animatedAladdinearned in its original run in 1992, and the $763 million that the animatedThe Lion Kingmade in its original run in 1994. Both movies have added to their respective totals through subsequent re-releases. That being said,The Little Mermaidhas onlygrown in popularityover the last 30-odd years, and is now regarded as a Disney classic.
Disney’s Live-Action Remakes Have Been a Mixed Bag
Disney’s streak oflive-action remakeshas had its ups and downs. For everyThe Jungle BookandCinderella, there’s anAlice in WonderlandandPinocchio. And then, there are the (pleasant) oddities, two of which —Pete’s Dragonand the recentPeter Pan & Wendy— have been directed byDavid Lowery. Four Disney live-action remakes —The Lion King,Beauty and the Beast,Aladdin,Alice in Wonderland— have grossed over $1 billion worldwide.The Jungle Booksits right at the edge, with a $966 million global gross. It remains to be seen ifThe Little Mermaidwill be able to match up to these titles, but expectations are high, considering that the original belongs to the Disney top-tier.
The live-action remake also starsMelissa McCarthyas the villainous Ursula,Jonah Hauer-King,Daveed Diggs,Awkwafina,Javier Bardem,Jacob Tremblay,Noma DumezweniandArt Malik. You can watch our interview with Bailey here, and stay tuned to Collider for more box office coverage over the weekend.
