Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ reels in highest Memorial Day box office numbers, with nearly $120 million

“The Little Mermaid” is proving it can be a part of this modern world – with its successful live-action release this Memorial Day Weekend – 34 years after the animated Disney classic debuted in 1989.

Three days into the four-day holiday weekend, the film has already accrued $96 million, per Variety. At its current pace, the film is expected to reel in $118 million by Monday, which would make it the fifth-highest rated opening on the holiday weekend. “Top Gun: Maverick” currently reigns at number one, having raked in over $160 million last year.

This version of “The Little Mermaid” has been in production for several years, with the original announcement of the film coming in 2016. In 2019, after announcing African-American actress Halle Bailey had been cast as Ariel, the movie received backlash. 

The film also stars Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Jonathan Hauer-King as Prince Eric.

DISNEY’S LIVE-ACTION ‘LITTLE MERMAID’ CASTS HALLE BAILEY AS ARIEL

The film, which had a $250 million budget, has also garnered attention internationally, making $68.3 million from 51 material markets. 

“It’s a classic,” Disney’s head of distribution Tony Chambers explained to Variety of the movie’s success. 

“You ask a lot of women or men of my age and it’s ‘Little Mermaid’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ that rank as their favorite animated movie. It’s a story that takes them back to their respective childhoods and this movie is the perfect opportunity for a lot of people to pass that love on to the next generation.”

Disney has already tackled a “Beauty and the Beast” remake, with the 2017 live-action musical starring Emma Watson as Belle. Additional Disney remakes include 2019’s “Aladdin” and “The Lion King,” along with many others.

Comparatively, the live-action film amassed an enormous amount more than the original animation film.

Disney’s 1989 version, which had a $40 million budget, earned over $211 million over the course of multiple release weekends.

Jodi Benson, who portrayed the original Ariel in the animated film, makes a brief cameo in the new movie.