over the Memorial Day weekend. The film, a live-action remake of the 1988 animated favorite, earned a splashy $117.5 million over the four-day holiday. It ranks as the fifth largest Memorial Day debut — last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick” set a new record for the holiday with its $160.5 million launch. At one point over the weekend, it looked as if “The Little Mermaid” might even open north of $120 million, but ticket sales flagged slightly.
“The Little Mermaid” stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, the daughter of King Triton , ruler of an ocean kingdom, who becomes enamored of a prince above the surface. Her desire to be with him spurs her to make a pact with Ursula to give up her soaring voice in return for assuming human form. Rob Marshall, the filmmaker behind musicals such as “Chicago” and “Into the Woods,” directed this music-heavy tale, which features such songs as “Part of Your World” and “Under the Sea.
Two other summer releases used the holiday to pad their grosses. Universal’s “Fast X” picked up $28.7 million over the long weekend. The sequel to the long running vehicular franchise has struggled at the domestic box office, earning a dispiriting $113.6 million after two weeks. It has performed better overseas, where it has earned nearly $400 million to bring is global haul to north of $500 million, making it the third highest-grossing movie of 2023.