All is not well under the seas…
The Little Mermaid live actions second-weekend box office numbers are in, and they’re not looking too good for the Disney remake. While Memorial Day weekend proved to be a success for The Little Mermaid, the competition of other films vying for attention heated up in the weekend that followed. The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, had a tough time keeping up with the competition.
This film is directed by Rob Marshall and features an A-list cast, including Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Eric, and Javier Barden as King Triton. Disney and the public have been expecting it to be one of the biggest releases of the summer. While the opening weekend was a smash hit, the film, unfortunately, faced a massive second-weekend dip.
‘The Little Mermaid’ Hits Rough Waters
It is clear that Disney has been banking on its live-action remakes of beloved classics to bolster the studio’s box office success. Previous remakes like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King have all grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. The Little Mermaid remake may not reach those heights, given its slow start at the box office.
Experts think that part of the reason that The Little Mermaid dipped is due to the release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This film grossed $120.66 million in its opening weekend. The film shares a similar audience with The Little Mermaid and could have likely taken some customers.
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How ‘the Little Mermaid’ Is Stacking Up
When comparing it to other Disney live-action remakes, The Little Mermaid’s box-office drop is actually the fourth worst drop of all time. From the opening weekend, The Little Mermaid dropped a staggering 56.7%. This means that the only films with a worse weekend two decline are Alice Through The Looking Glass, The Lion King, and Dumbo.
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Hopefully, The Little Mermaid will make a comeback as we enter its third weekend at the theatres. The film has earned a solid reception from its fans, especially for Halle Bailey’s performance as Ariel. If they can build back lost momentum, this film could very well be on its way to passing the $1 billion point.