Disney once again shares the epic tale of Ariel with the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. The film has been in conversation since the studio announced it, whether it’s for the studio’s constant milking of its popular stories, instead of introducing new ones or for the film’s casting. It is set to release this week, and the studio is aiming high for the film’s box office records, as reports suggest that the live-action adaptation is on track to beat Keanu Reeves’ John Wick 4, which had a $137 million global opening weekend at the box office.
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The Little Mermaid Aims at a Huge Weekend Opening
Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid is set to release this weekend and has received mixed reviews from critics. The Halle Bailey starrer holds a 71% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. While some said that it “honors its source material with a big, color-saturated production,” others claimed the live-action adaptation has no “nostalgic connection to the original property.”
Despite the mixed reviews and the controversies surrounding it, the movie is eyeing a $180 million headstart globally. According to Deadline, the film is expected to make $120 million for the four-day Memorial Day weekend holiday and around $100 million over the last three days of its opening weekend.
If the film is able to meet the expectation, it will be among the 2023 films that crossed the mark of $100 million collection in their debut weekends. It also challenges films like John Wick 4, which had a global opening weekend of $137 million. However, people seem doubtful that the Disney film would be able to live up to the estimates for its international debut.
Netizens Skeptical About The Little Mermaid’s Debut
With The Little Mermaid’s box office prediction out, people took to Twitter to share their opinion about the film’s expected opening weekend collection. They seem skeptical over the film’s commercial performance, claiming that it might have a huge opening weekend.
But that might not last long as it could face an “atrocious” drop in its box office collection following its debut weekend. Some netizens also claimed that the film might not be able to achieve the expectations set by the studio. While some believe that The Little Mermaid would easily achieve the mark, others claim otherwise by simply saying, “Not happening.”
The movie reportedly cost over $250 million and was in production for three years. It follows King Triton’s daughter Ariel who falls for Prince Eric and makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to explore the world beyond the sea.
The Little Mermaid is set to release on 26th May 2023.
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Source: Discussing Films
