Memorial Day might not be the official kick-off to summer (that title is reserved exclusively for the summer equinox, which will be right around the time No Hard Feelings hits theaters) but it’s the official weekend when everyone and their cousin will go to the movies because that’s when you will finally begin to utilize that fantastic movie theater air conditioning.
Last year, Top Gun: Maverick took the top spot for Memorial Day weekend, and this year, instead of flying high in the sky, audiences will be exploring the colorful depths of the ocean with The Little Mermaid. Even though the intended audiences are a little different, it seems like Ariel and her fishy friends will dominate.
The live-action remake is expected to earn upwards of $100 million from 4,300 North American theaters in its first three days of release and $120 million to $125 million by Monday. For reference, Top Gun took home $126.7 million on its opening weekend, which was a post-pandemic high. How many coconut cakes could you buy with that lump sum? Roughly a million. For Disney’s standards, it might seem a little low, considering The Lion King took home $191 million for its opening weekend in 2019.
The Little Mermaid is just the latest live-action remake that Disney has been churning out of its proverbial vault. Next up, a Greta Gerwig-scripted version of Snow White will head into theaters in March 2024, while a live-action Moana is currently in the works. Are the days of colorful animated features long gone? Hopefully not!
