‘The Little Mermaid’ explodes at box office with $95.5 million opening

Andrew Dalton Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Little Mermaid” has made moviegoers want to hit the water on Memorial Day weekend.

Disney’s live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic lightly outperformed its competitors, grossing $95.5 million across 4,320 screens in North America, according to the studio’s estimates Sunday.

And Disney estimates that the film, which stars Halle Bailey as Ariel the mermaid and Melissa McCarthy as the sea witch’s nemesis Ursula, will reach $117.5 million by the end of the holiday. It is the fifth largest Memorial Day weekend opening ever.

Replaced “Fast X” in the top spot. The tenth installment of the Fast and Furious series starring Vin Diesel has lagged behind the latest installment in the series, grossing $23 million domestically and $108 million in two-week totals from Universal Pictures. rice field.

In its fourth weekend, Disney and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 took third place in North America, earning an estimated $20 million. Domestically, it currently generates $299 million in revenue.

The Little Mermaid’s box office success represents a resurgence of sorts for Disney’s animated-to-live-action remakes, which will likely continue to be remade indefinitely. Due to bad publicity and the pandemic, some recent reboots have had poor or skipped theatrical releases on Disney+, including “Dumbo,” “Mulan,” and “Pinocchio.” There was also

“It works as long as the movie is on the air,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore. “By reviving these blockbuster titles in the animated realm, it’s great that Disney has access to the archives.”

The audience thought it worked. The film had a cinema score, and exit polls showed more ticket buyers between the ages of 25 and 34 than children, suggesting nostalgic adults were essential.

“The multi-generational component of this issue cannot be overemphasized,” Dargarabedian said.

Critics were more lukewarm. The film currently has a 67% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review, Associated Press’s Lindsay Barr called the film “a rather drab piece sprinkled with bioluminescent sparks” and, like too many Disney remakes, “a compelling visual story.” We prioritize nostalgia and familiarity over telling.”

One half of sister R&B duo Chloe x Halle, Bailey still shines with her “great presence” and “great voice,” she said.

Directed by Rob Marshall and reportedly having a budget of $250 before its release, ‘The Little Mermaid’ tells the story of a wayward daughter who makes a diabolical deal to trade her fins and legs. . The production features songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, including “Part of Your World” and “Under the Sea,” whose original films sparked his 1990s Disney animation renaissance.

Fourth place goes to Universal’s Super Mario Bros. Movie, which continues to reach new levels in its eighth weekend. Now he’s available for rent on VOD, but in theaters he still made $6.3 million. With a cumulative total of $559 million, Mario and Luigi are the biggest earners so far this year.

The comics couldn’t compete with Ariel as other new releases this week were lackluster.

The action comedy “The Machine,” starring stand-up comedian Bert Kreischer, made $4.9 million domestically and ranked fifth. And “About My Father,” the epic comedy starring stand-up comedians Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, came in at No. 6 with $4.3 million.

It’s unclear if the “Little Mermaid” will have legs or fins in the future. Next week, the anime “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” will be released, and the following week, “Transformers: Rise of the Beast” will be released.

Estimated ticket sales Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final national statistics will be released on Monday.

1. “The Little Mermaid” $95.5 million.
2. “Fast X,” $23 million.
3. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” $20 million.
4. “Super Mario Bros. Movie” $6.3 million.
5. “The Machine” $4.9 million.
6. “About My Father,” $4.3 million.
7. “Kandahar”, $2.4 million.
8. “You Heart My Feelings”, 1.4 million.
9. “Evil Dead Rise,” $1 million.
10. “Book Club, The Next Chapter,” $920,000.

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton