As it nears the end of its theatrical run, Disney’sThe Little Mermaidis indicating that it might have the energy for one last lap. The movie has struggled commercially after debuting a little over three weeks ago, but after braving some choppy waters initially, it appears to have steadied itself.This weekendThe Little Mermaidswam past three new milestones at the box office — the $250 million mark domestically, the $200 million mark in international territories, and the $450 million mark worldwide.
Not too long ago, these numbers might have sounded far-fetched. But as things stand,The Little Mermaidnow has a strong chance of finishing with half a billion dollars worldwide before running out of breath. Currently, the movie has made $253 million at the domestic box office, and $212 million from overseas territories, for a global haul of $465 million. As you can probably tell from these numbers,The Little Mermaid’s revenue has been unusually skewed. Films of this size — big-budget, effects-driven spectacles —tend to generate more money from overseas markets, but it seems like the brand isn’t as beloved internationally as it is at home.The Little Mermaiddebuted with$117 million in its extended domestic opening weekend, and generated $168 million worldwide globally in its debut. These are hardly splashy numbers, especially considering the film’s massive $250 million reported production budget (which, as usual, doesn’t include the marketing spends). As a rule of thumb, movies this size need to make twice their budgets theatrically to break even, and the fact that Disney was willing to spend so heavily onThe Little Mermaidshows that the studio had high hopes from the movie.
And why wouldn’t it? Disney’s last major theatrical live-action remake —Aladdin— managed to make more than $1 billion worldwide. And it cost less than $200 million.Aladdinactually opened with an almost identical number stateside, before legging it to $350 million domestically and $1.1 billion worldwide. While there’s still a chance thatThe Little Mermaidis able to pass $300 million domestically, it’s clear that not having movie stars ofWill Smith’s stature is hurting it in markets where things like this matter. The only otherlive-action Disney remakethatThe Little Mermaidstill has a realistic chance of passing isMaleficent: Mistress of Evil, which concluded its global run with $494 million.
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The Little MermaidIsn’t Top-Tier Disney
But finishing among the top-tier of these movies is out of the question. In the last decade and a half, four Disney remakes have managed to generate more than $1 billion globally. There’sAladdin, of course, and alsoThe Lion King($1.66 billion),Beauty and the Beast($1.2 billion) andAlice in Wonderland($1 billion). As far as 2023 is concerned, however,The Little Mermaidis now the sixth-biggest Hollywood release, behindAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse,Fast X,Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3andThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The Little Mermaidstars newcomerHalle Baileyin the titular role, alongsideMelissa McCarthyas Urusula, andJonah Hauer-King,Noma Dumezweni,Daveed Diggs,Javier Bardem,Awkwafina,Jacob Tremblay,andArt Malik. you’re able to watch our interview with the film’s directorRob Marshallhere, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
