The Little Mermaid (Disney image)
May 29, 2023
Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action remake is projected to top $117.5 million in ticket sales through the May 29 Memorial Day weekend — a record for a Disney live-action feature film and fifth-highest over the holiday period, according to BoxOfficeMojo. Last year’s Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures) holds the all-time North American box office record at $160.5 million.
The movie, starring newcomer Halle Bailey as the title character, Ariel, King Triton’s youngest daughter, is based on the studios’ 1989 animated movie of the same name that featured the voice of Jodi Benson as Ariel and is generally considered the beginning of the “Disney Renaissance,” a period of success for the animated studio that lasted well into the 1990s. Co-stars in the reported $250 million production include Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem, among others.
While domestic results look promising , The Little Mermaid didn’t resonate as well abroad, generating around $68 million across more than 50 markets — well-below Disney’s Aladdin, which generated almost $100 million internationally in its 2019 opening weekend.
Universal Pictures’ Fast X added $28.7 million in revenue to up its North American tally near a quiet $114 million. The latest release in the action franchise remains a stronger attraction overseas as it nears $400 million in ticket sales and $513 million worldwide. The “Fast and Furious” movie franchise has topped $7 billion in revenue worldwide.
Disney/Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sold another $26.1 million worth of tickets to up its North American tally near $305 million ($724.3 million worldwide). Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie padded its 2023 No. 1 theatrical revenue tally with an additional $8.3 million in ticket sales. The movie, which is currently available for PVOD and PEST in the home, tops the global box office with more than $1.2 billion in revenue.
Sony Pictures actioner The Machine opened to $6 million, while Lionsgate’s About My Father, starring Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, took in an estimated $4.3 million across 2,464 North America screens. The film is set up on a solid theatrical runway to play through Father’s Day. Finally, Gerard Butler’s latest actioner Kandahar (Open Road Films) opened to $3 million.