Rob Marshall’s latest live-action Disney film, The Little Mermaid, has taken the debut spot at the box office with an incredible $118 million.
After months of excitement and build-up amongst fans, the live-action remake of the 80s Disney favorite has been a huge success at the box office.
Variety reported that the hit grossed $38 million on its opening day alone, and over a four-day period, make an incredinle $118 million in total.
The new fan favorite has also become the highest-rated Disney live-action remake on Rotten Tomatoes.
With a remarkable 95 percent audience score, the movie has captivated viewers since its release on May 26, and it has already grossed nearly $200 million at the box office.
Audiences are raving about The Little Mermaid, surpassing the fan ratings of other beloved Disney remakes.
The film outshines Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin, which scored 57 percent, as well as Mulan with 47 percent, Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella at 78 percent, and 2016’s The Jungle Book at 86 percent.
However, the film faced its fair share of challenges as it became the target of review bombing, primarily driven by internet trolls in countries like France, Germany, and Korea.
AlloCiné, a prominent French film review platform, released a statement addressing the influx of negative reviews and urged viewers to form their own opinions. They emphasized the need for caution and encouraged audiences to make up their minds about the film.
In response to the review bombing, IMDb also implemented measures to preserve the reliability of their rating system. They issued warnings on their US, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico sites, explaining that they had detected unusual voting activity and applied an alternate weighting calculation to maintain the system’s integrity. While IMDb considers all user votes, they adjust the weight of votes to ensure the final rating remains accurate.
Despite initial backlash when Halle Bailey was cast as the iconic mermaid Ariel in 2019, the young actress has received praise for her performance. Critics have commended her natural Disney-like portrayal, with Ellen E Jones from The Guardian describing her as “about as naturally Disneyfied as real human beings get.” Jones goes on to emphasize that Bailey’s success is not only a triumph for the film but also an important step in allowing all children, regardless of their race, to see themselves as integral parts of the Magic Kingdom.
As The Little Mermaid continues to make waves in the film industry, its positive reception among fans and critics alike reaffirms the enduring appeal of Disney’s beloved animated classics in their live-action adaptations.
