411 Box Office Report: Little Mermaid Claims Memorial Day #1 With $95 Million

Disney reclaimed the top spot at the box office over Memorial Day weekend with The Little Mermaid, which dominated for #1. The live-action remake grossed $95.5 million over three days and a projected $117.5 million through Monday, right around where it was expected to do going into the weekend. While that number pales in comparison to the $191.8 million opening weekend of the “live action” Lion King, it is about on par with Aladdin’s $91.5 million start in May of 2019.

Little Mermaid had a lot of expectations hanging on it heading into the weekend. Disney’s last live-action remake that5 released in theaters was Cruella in 2021, a far sight from 2019 where three such films were released (Dumbo, Lion King, and Aladdin). Disney released a live-action Pinocchio on Disney+ last year, but it came and went without much fanfare. With several other such films in the pipeline, this had a lot of responsibility to lead the way – and the hype was high due to the reverence for the original.

For the most part, the film has delivered on those expectations. There’s still a ways to go, but an opening near $100 million sets the stage for what should be a solid run. The film has moderately positive reviews at a 67% aggregated score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty good for a live-action remake (Lion King was a mediocre 52%, with Aladdin at 57%). And the audience reaction is very good, with an A CinemaScore and a 95% audience score.

All that means that the film should be in for a pretty lengthy box office run. It will need to be, considering the expensive $250 million budget, but it is off to a good start. It added $68.3 million overseas for $163.8 million worldwide through Sunday. As it stands, the film seems likely to at least top $270 million in the US and could get further.

Fast X took an expected hit, in part because it lost its premium screens to Little Mermaid. The Fast franchise film was down 66% in its second weekend to $23 million through three days and $28.6 million through Monday. That’s right on par with the drop for F9: The Fast Saga, which slipped 67% in its second weekend.

As predicted, Fast X continues to be solid domestically and doing gangbusters overseas. It has $108 million stateside and $507.3 million worldwide, putting it will on pace to top most entries in the franchise. It will have to continue to do well considering the massive $300 million budget, but it should be able to do just fine in the end with a likely $165 million domestically and getting somewhat close to $1 billion worldwide.

Guardians Of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was off just 38% from its sophomore weekend with $20 million through Sunday and $26.6 million through Monday. The MCU film is now up to $299.4 million domestically and $731 million worldwide, doing great even against a $250 million budget. The film is continuing to outpace Thor: Love & Thunder and seems likely to top $350 million domestically, a hit for Marvel.

The Super Mario Bros Movie was down 35% to $6.3 million in its eighth weekend through Sunday, and an estimated $8.3 million through Monday. The film continues to be strong and is now up to $558.9 million domestically and $1.277 billion worldwide thus far, a massive performer against a $100 million budget. It is on target for around $575 million domestically.

The mid- to lower half of the top 10 was filled with a glut of modest-performing new releases. The first of those was Sony Pictures’ The Machine, which grossed $4.9 million over three days and an projected $5.8 million through Monday. The Bert Kreischer-led film fell flat with critics at 29% on RT, though audiences are warmer to it at a 95% audience rating.

Comedy as a genre has been hit and miss at theaters of the past several years, and especially R-rated comedies. This one is no exception, and it doesn’t help that it’s up against another two new-release comedies. This one is going to be a money loser and may get to $15 million against its $20 million budget, but it was always intended to hit profit once it arrived on digital and SVOD where comedies are actually making their money these days.

Fellow comedy About My Father came in next at $4.3 million. This PG-13 comedy from Sebastian Maniscalco made even less waves pre-release than The Machine did and was similarly DOA with critics who gave it a 32% RT aggregate score. Again, audiences like this more with a 75% RT audience score and a B+ CinemaScore, but those are cold consolation for a film that cost $29 million. About My Father was barely marketed on the plus side, and like The Machine it will find its profit on digital/VOD. Domestically it should reach around $13 million to $15 million.

Gerard Butler’s Kandahar tried to serve as some action thriller counterprogramming, and it fell as short as expected. The film grossed $2.4 million through Sunday and $3 million through Monday, which is more or less where it was expected to land.

The film is distributed by Open Road, who has made its business out of selling these low-profile action thrillers from Butler (CopShop) or Liam Neeson (Memory, Marlowe, The Marksman). Open Road’s profit plans for these films are to get them into theaters to make a little cash and raise their profile, then release them straight to digital & VOD. Lionsgate did a similar thing with Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre earlier this year. Kandahar may struggle to even reach $5 million in the US and will be gone from the top 10 soon, but Open Road will probably make its money back.

The Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy You Hurt My Feelings opened quietly despite a lot of buzz. The film started with $1.4 million over three days and a projected $1.8 million through Monday. A24’s film scored heavy critical praise at 95% on RT, though audience reaction is more reserved at a 65% rating on RT. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is again a lower-profile release that was hurt by the several other counter-programming options but is making its money on digital/VOD. No word on its budget but it is unlikely to get over $5 million in theaters.

Evil Dead Rise was down 57% in its sixth weekend to $1 million through Sunday and $1.3 million through Monday. Its totals are now $66.2 million domestically and $142.4 million worldwide, a hit for New Line and Warner Bros. against a budget of just $18 million. It will end out at around $68 million to $70 million.

Book Club: The Next Chapter continues to race its way down the charts, down 69% in its third weekend with $920,000 through Sunday and $1.2 million through Sunday. The romcom sequel now has a quiet $16.1 million domestically and $22.9 million worldwide, unlikely to be a hit even if international grosses pick up considering its $20 million budget plus marketing. It should end its run at around $18 million domestically.

Little Mermaid is a one-and-done at #1, as next weekend will be dominated by Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The sequel to Into the Spider-Verse is looking at the range of $110 million to $120 million to start. Meanwhile, 20th Century Studios brings the loose Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman which should be in the mid-teens.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. The Little Mermaid – $95.5 million ($$95.5 million total, $163.8 million WW)
2. Fast X – $23 million ($108 million total, $507.3 million WW)
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – $20 million ($299.4 million total, $731 million WW)
4. The Super Mario Bros. Movie – $6.3 million ($558.9 million total, $1.276 billion WW)
5. The Machine – $4.9 million ($4.9 million total, $4.9 million WW)
6. About My Father – $4.3 million ($4.3 million total, $4.3 million WW)
7. Kandahar – $2.4 million ($2.4 million total, $2.4 million WW)
8. You Hurt My Feelings – $1.4 million ($1.4 million total, $1.4 million WW)
9. Evil Dead Rise – $1 million ($66.2 million total, $142.4 million WW)
10. Book Club: The Next Chapter – $920,000 ($16.1 million total, $22.9 million WW)