The live action “The Little Mermaid” caused a sensation at the US box office this weekend, bringing in a handsome sum of $30 million on its first Saturday of operation.
According to early estimates from Deadline, Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid would have won $30 million this Saturday in the United States, the first day of the four-day Memorial Day weekend. It thus equals the live action Aladdin which had brought in the same sum on its own Saturday, during this same weekend in 2019. The predictions for the next few days would be the following: 97-98 million dollars over three days and 121-123 million out of four. Currently, the musical ranks exactly where it was supposed to rank.
The Halle Bailey-starring film, which debuted in 4,320 U.S. theaters, grossed $10.3 million in previews on Thursday, ranking seventh for a G- or PG-rated film. With a production budget of $250 million, The little Mermaid must still lure a little more success before making a profit. But overall, the estimated numbers would be the seventh-best ever for a PG- or G-rated movie, according to Deadline.
THE COMPETITION IS TOUGH
For comparison, Fast & Furious X, released last week, earned $67 million (in the US alone) in its first opening weekend. For this four-day weekend, Variety estimates it will bring in around $28 million more, which would put it in second place after The little Mermaid. The action flick is, however, expected to cross the $500 million mark at the international box office this weekend as well, the third highest-grossing of the year worldwide.
In the cast of The Little Mermaid, we can also find Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Jonah Hauer-King (Prince Eric), Javier Bardem (King Triton), Daveed Diggs (Sebastien), Jacob Tremblay (Polochon) and Awkwafina (Eureka ). While the film received mixed reviews, currently holding a score of 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, the performance ofHalle Bailey in the lead role has, meanwhile, been widely praised.
The Little Mermaid is currently available at your nearest cinema.