Movies
‘The Little Mermaid’ pulls in $118 million at the box office
‘The Little Mermaid’ remake brought in big numbers during its first weekend.
Disney’s live-action adaptation of ‘The Little Mermaid’ released in theaters this weekend and has already pulled in $118 million at the domestic box office. According to studio projects, this makes it the fifth-biggest opening during the Memorial Day weekend.
However, the numbers weren’t as stellar at international box offices. The film brought in a mere $68.3 million overseas.
With a budget of $250 million, Disney is certainly hoping to break even in the coming weeks.
What to know about ‘The Little Mermaid’?
The film is a remake of the 1989 animated classic. It stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The score was composed by legend Alan Menken, who wrote the original songs, and Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is a notorious ‘The Little Mermaid’ fan.
While the movie cut two songs, ‘The Daughters of Triton’ and ‘Les Poissons’, it features three new songs written by both Menken and Miranda.
The reviews
The overall reaction to ‘The Little Mermaid’ remake has been mixed. While it currently sits at 67 percent on RottenTomatoes from critics, it scored an A on CinemaScore from fans.
Though even among negative reviews, Halle Bailey’s performance has been praised considerably.
“Imperfect, and too long, the film is saved by Halle Bailey, who shines through,” said reviewer Kevin Carr from Fat Guys at the Movies.
“If you have any reason to watch this pallid remake of the 1989 film, watch it for Halle Bailey…” said reviewer Felix Vasquez Jr. from Cinema Crazed.
“Aside from Bailey’s fantastic voice and a few song sequences, this movie feels like imagination in reverse. It limits creativity rather than expands it,” said Doug Walker from Channel Awesome.