With high projections, the film could join the ranks of this year's biggest blockbusters, earning over $100 million USD during its debut.
Disney's live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" is making a splash at the box office during Memorial Day Weekend. The film is expected to bring in an impressive $100 million USD in its first three days, and projected to reach up to $125 million USD by Monday, according to Variety.
If it meets these expectations, "The Little Mermaid" will be the fourth film to cross the $100 million USD threshold in its debut weekend this year. Disney has already released two films that achieved this feat: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." The highest grossing opening film of the year is "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which earned $146 million USD.
However, the film's production budget of nearly $250 million USD may prove to be a hefty challenge due to the COVID-related delays that added additional costs. The movie will need to generate substantial global appeal in order to recoup these expenses. It is projected to earn $80 million USD from key international markets in its opening weekend.
Starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, "The Little Mermaid" is Disney's latest live-action adaptation after other beloved classics such as "The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin." The movie also includes notable talents such as Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
