Disney's highly anticipated live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" made a splash at the box office but failed to meet initial expectations.
Despite its strong opening weekend and positive audience reception, the film struggled to recoup its massive production budget, leaving Disney executives concerned about its overall success. Let's delve into the numbers and explore the factors that contributed to this underperformance.
"The Little Mermaid" opened with a global weekend gross of $163.8 million, falling $20 million short of expectations. The disparity can be attributed to a softer-than-anticipated worldwide opening of $68 million. The film managed to reach $200 million globally just two days after its projected milestone, but the figures remain below the initial predictions.
Out of the film's $209 million worldwide gross, $130 million came from domestic audiences, while the remaining $79 million was earned abroad. Despite a respectable domestic opening of $38 million, "The Little Mermaid" struggled to sustain its momentum, grossing $117 million domestically over the four-day weekend.
Internationally, the film failed to make a significant impact, falling short of its $80 million global opening weekend goal by $12 million.
Disney's previous live-action remake, "Aladdin," had a similar opening weekend performance in 2019. However, despite mixed reviews, "Aladdin" managed to generate $350 million domestically and an impressive $1 billion worldwide.
The disparity in performance between these two films raises questions about the factors contributing to the underwhelming results of "The Little Mermaid."
With a production budget of $250 million (excluding marketing expenses), "The Little Mermaid" faced an uphill battle to achieve financial success.
The film's high production costs significantly impacted its chances of turning a profit, especially given its underwhelming box office performance.
While "The Little Mermaid" scored an A CinemaScore on its opening day, indicating positive reception among audiences, critical reviews were mixed.
Despite some critics praising the film for capturing the enchanting Disney magic, others expressed disappointment or felt that it failed to live up to its animated predecessor. Disney's live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" has encountered a rocky start at the box office, falling short of initial expectations.
With a worldwide gross of $209 million, "The Little Mermaid" still has a long way to go to recoup its substantial investment. As the film continues its theatrical run, Disney will be closely monitoring its performance and exploring strategies to maximize its box office potential.