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Disney is taking everyone under the sea with The Little Mermaid 2023 live-action remake, based on the beloved 1989 animation film. Filled with CGI advancements, there was much investment in making Ariel's tail, Sebastian and Flounder's revamped animations, and the whole environment under the sea as realistic as possible. With a significantly high budget and top-notch cast (starring Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy), live actions like these are expected to soar at the box office and not only break even but become a lucrative success. After Aladdin and The Lion King's profitable returns, here's a breakdown of The Little Mermaid's budget and how its box office performance compares to previous Disney projects.
Editor's Note: This article was updated on August 2, 2023.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
PGThe youngest of King Triton's daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land.
Release Date May 26, 2023 Director Rob Marshall Cast Halle Bailey , Jonah Hauer-King , Melissa McCarthy , Javier Bardem Runtime 135 minutes Main Genre AnimationWhat Was the Budget for The Little Mermaid?
The 2023 remake is estimated to have cost around $250 million to make and $140 million in global marketing spend, although Disney hasn't officially released the exact budget/cost of production. The Little Mermaid live-action had a similar investment value to other Disney live-action films, such as The Lion King and Aladdin. The Lion King cost $260 million, while Aladdin cost $183 million. Considering the number of technological resources used in the film, including a heavy load of CGI, the estimate made of The Little Mermaid's budget isn't very far off from what you would expect from a remake of this caliber. However, the reception towards the film (especially towards its visuals) has been mixed, which reflects on its earnings.
How Does the Live-Action Budget Compare to The Little Mermaid Animated Film?
Before getting into The Little Mermaid's box office performance, it is also worthwhile to compare the cost of production of the remake to the 1989 animation. The original Disney film cost around $40 million, which was higher than other Disney animations that were produced shortly after that. For instance, Beauty and the Beast cost $20 million, which is half of the amount spent on The Little Mermaid animation. According to Box Office Mojo, the 1989 film earned over $211 million globally ($517 million if we adjust for inflation). The remake will likely conclude its run with a similar gross as it passes the $500 million milestone.
How Much Did the Cast of The Little Mermaid Make?
According to Showbiz Galore, Halle Bailey received over $1.5 million for portraying Ariel, the iconic red-headed mermaid. As for her co-stars, Jonah Hauer-King earned $750,000 for the role of Prince Eric, and Javier Bardem received $700,000 for playing King Triton. Melissa McCarthy, who played the devious Ursula in the live-action, made $500,000 for her work in the film. Other cast members received more modest salaries for their supporting roles. Noma Dumezweni made $400,000 as Queen Selina, Art Malik made $200,000 as Grimsby, Lorena Andrea made $200,000 as Perla, and Kajsa Mohammar made $170,000 as Karina.
How Is The Little Mermaid Doing at the Box Office So Far?
The Little Mermaid was released just in time for Memorial Day, making about 38 million dollars domestically on its premiere day and $118.8 million 4-day opening weekend. Although the film performed well in North America, it didn't soar during its opening weekend overseas. The live-action remake was expected to receive around $80 million, but it only made through to $63.8 million. Reluctance from the Chinese market may have been a determining factor when it came to earnings globally. The film only made $2.5 million in its opening weekend in the country. Over three weeks after the film hit theaters, it has made around $253 million domestically and $212 million in international territories, marking about $465 million worldwide.
After its tenth weekend in release, The Little Mermaid had grossed a total of $296.9 million domestically and $267.2 million internationally, which adds up to $564 million worldwide
Did The Little Mermaid Break Even?
The Little Mermaid did break even, but just barely. The film needed to make at least $560 million globally, which it finally has crossed. PVOD and Blu-ray and DVD sales can also help the film make a bit more money for Disney. While The Little Mermaid didn't cross the billion-dollar mark like Disney might have hoped, the film still did better than some of the studio's other summer films including Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Elemental.
Comparing The Little Mermaid Box Office Projections to Other Disney Live-Action Remakes
For a film with a budget of $250 million and $140 million in global marketing spend, The Little Mermaid hasn't earned back nearly as much as other Disney live actions, such as The Lion King and Aladdin. As previously mentioned, both films also received big budgets but were deemed lucrative during their theatrical run in 2019. The Lion King made $1.6 billion at the box office, while Aladdin made around $1.05 billion worldwide gross. It is important to note that the latter film also premiered during the Memorial Day weekend. Unlike The Little Mermaid, Aladdin had a positive reception in China, earning $53.4 million in the country. Beauty and the Beast also did well at the box office, making $1.2 billion gross.
Although several Disney live-action were deemed lucrative, there were also many hits and misses, especially considering streaming-only releases. For instance, Mulan hit theaters in 2020 during the pandemic and had nearly no domestic box office returns because most theaters in North America and around the world were shut down. According to Disney, the film made $90 million via Disney+ Premiere Access, where people could watch the live-action remake via streaming. Yet, it is also worth noting that in some places worldwide, Mulan did get the opportunity to hit the big screen, earning around $70 million in international markets. The Little Mermaid is the first remake to get a major release since the pandemic started, so it's coming in lower than the pre-2019 films isn't that surprising
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