B次元官网网址� The Little Mermaid B次元官网网址� made moviegoers want to be under the sea on Memorial Day weekend.
DisneyB次元官网网址檚 live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic easily outswam the competition, bringing in $95.5 million on 4,320 screens in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.
And Disney estimates the film starring Halle Bailey as the titular mermaid Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as her sea witch nemesis Ursula will reach $117.5 million by the time the holiday is over. It ranks as the fifth biggest Memorial Day weekend opening ever.
It displaces B次元官网网址淔ast XB次元官网网址� in the top spot. The 10th installment in the B次元官网网址淔ast and FuriousB次元官网网址� franchise starring Vin Diesel has lagged behind more recent releases in the series, bringing in $23 million domestically for a two-week total of $108 million for Universal Pictures.
In its fourth weekend, Disney and MarvelB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址� Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 B次元官网网址� made an estimated $20 million in North America to take third place. ItB次元官网网址檚 now made $299 million domestically.
The performance of B次元官网网址淭he Little MermaidB次元官网网址� represents something of a bounce-back for DisneyB次元官网网址檚 animated-to-live-action remakes, and makes it likely they will keep coming indefinitely. Poor reception and the pandemic had some recent reboots either performing poorly or skipping theatrical releases for Disney +, including B次元官网网址淒umbo,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淢ulanB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淧inocchio.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚t works as long as the movies deliver,B次元官网网址� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 great for Disney to be able to go to their archive by reviving these titles that started off as huge hits in the animated realm.B次元官网网址�
The opening puts it in the top tier of DisneyB次元官网网址檚 remakes, with a similar performance to 2019B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淎laddin,B次元官网网址� though it was well short of 2017B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淏eauty and the Beast,B次元官网网址� which opened to more than $170 million, and 2019B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Lion King,B次元官网网址� which brought in more than $190 million in its first weekend.
Audiences thought it delivered. The film had an A CinemaScore, and according to exit polling had more ticket buyers between ages 25 and 34 than children, suggesting nostalgic adults were essential.
B次元官网网址淭he multi generational component of this cannot be overstated,B次元官网网址� Dergarabedian said.
Critics were more lukewarm. The movie is currently at 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review, Lindsey Bahr of The Associated Press called it B次元官网网址渁 somewhat drab undertaking with sparks of bioluminescenceB次元官网网址� that like too many of the Disney remakes B次元官网网址減rioritized nostalgia and familiarity over compelling visual storytelling.B次元官网网址�
She said Bailey, half of the sister R&B duo Chloe x Halle, still shone with a B次元官网网址渓ovely presenceB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渟uperb voice.B次元官网网址�
Directed by Rob Marshall with a reported budget of $250 million before marketing, B次元官网网址淭he Little MermaidB次元官网网址� tells the story of a yearning, wayward daughter who cuts a devilB次元官网网址檚 deal to swap her fins for a pair of legs. It features the songs from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, including B次元官网网址淧art of Your WorldB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淯nder the Sea,B次元官网网址� that helped the original film spark a Disney animation renaissance in the 1990s.
Fourth place went to UniversalB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie,B次元官网网址� which keeps reaching new levels in its eighth weekend. Now available to rent on VOD, it still earned $6.3 million in theatres. Its cumulative total of $559 million makes Mario and Luigi the yearB次元官网网址檚 biggest earners so far.
Comics couldnB次元官网网址檛 stand up to Ariel as the weekB次元官网网址檚 other new releases sank.
B次元官网网址淭he Machine,B次元官网网址� an action comedy starring standB次元官网网址攗p comedian Bert Kreischer, finished fifth with $4.9 million domestically. And B次元官网网址� About My Father,B次元官网网址� the broad comedy starring stand-up Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, was sixth with $4.3 million.
ItB次元官网网址檚 not clear whether B次元官网网址淭he Little MermaidB次元官网网址� will have legs B次元官网网址� or fins B次元官网网址� going forward. Next week brings the release of animated B次元官网网址淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,B次元官网网址� with B次元官网网址淭ransformers: Rise of the BeastsB次元官网网址� arriving the following week.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. B次元官网网址淭he Little Mermaid,B次元官网网址� $95.5 million.
2. B次元官网网址淔ast X,B次元官网网址� $23 million.
3. B次元官网网址淕uardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,B次元官网网址� $20 million.
4. B次元官网网址淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie,B次元官网网址� $6.3 million.
5. B次元官网网址淭he Machine,B次元官网网址� $4.9 million.
6. B次元官网网址淎bout My Father,B次元官网网址� $4.3 million.
7. B次元官网网址淜andahar,B次元官网网址� $2.4 million.
8. B次元官网网址淵ou Hurt My Feelings,B次元官网网址� 1.4 million.
9. B次元官网网址淓vil Dead Rise,B次元官网网址� $1 million.
10. B次元官网网址淏ook Club, The Next Chapter,B次元官网网址� $920, 000.
Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
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