Disney live-action remakes are becoming a common fare at the theaters. The latest one arriving soon is Halle Bailey’s The Little Mermaid. However, the film has been shrouded in controversies. But as per box office estimates, it’s going to end up scoring higher than Aladdin and Maleficent.
It seems like The Little Mermaid is facing one trouble after another. When its first trailer was released, it was heavily disliked on YouTube. From then onwards, audiences have criticized everything from the VFX to the adaptation of characters like Flounder from animation to live-action. However, apparently, it’s still going to win over its haters.
The Little Mermaid Is Looking To Get Big Box-Office Numbers
As per Box Office Pro, The Little Mermaid is tracking to earn between $70 million to $90 million at the domestic box-office opening weekend. The Hollywood Handle has reported that “In comparison, ‘ALADDIN’ opened with $91M and ‘MALEFICENT’ with $69M.” Here’s the tweet:
These numbers have surprised many. After all, a lot of criticism has been levied towards changing the race of the titular character of Ariel, played by Halle Bailey. But that’s not all. The trailer reception was poor and there’s also the ongoing online discussion about the perils and problems of making live-action remakes. But it looks like that’s not enough to stop the movie from scoring big. It seems like fans are excited about the film.
Disney Fans Show Their Excitement For The Little Mermaid
Even though the $70 million to $90 million opening weekend prediction stumped many, it actually follows a pattern. Variety reported that the teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid had crossed more than $104 million worldwide views in its first-weekend post-release. This was more than Aladdin’s 74 million, Beauty and the Beast’s 94 million, and Cruella’s 68 million.
As such, having an almost $100 million opening weekend doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Most audiences are excited about the financial prospects of the movie. But not everyone is on board. Here’s the chatter surrounding the film:
The live-action remake will follow the plotline of the animated film where we will see Ariel, King Triton’s youngest daughter, venture out into the human world after being fascinated with humans. She saves Prince Eric from a shipwreck and wants to be with him, but to fulfill her desire she has to trade her beautiful voice for legs.
This exchange might be more expensive and perilous than she bargained for. It will be crucial for the film to also get a positive word of mouth and an A Cinema score. It now remains to be seen if the movie can nab the predicted big opening weekend and prove its detractors wrong.
The Little Mermaid releases on 26 May 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Handle and Box Office Pro
