The Little Mermaid
Disney’s live-action remake debuted with $95.5M for the three-day opening, falling short of joining the club of $100M openers.
Compared to other notable Disney remakes and reimaginings, it opened below some films it was expected to match or beat, including Alice in Wonderland and The Jungle Book:
- -7% below 2016’s The Jungle Book ($103.2M)
- -17% below 2010’s Alice in Wonderland ($116.1M)
- -45% below 2017’s Beauty and the Beast ($174.7M)
- -50% below 2019’s The Lion King ($191.7M)
However, it did open +4% above 2019’s Aladdin ($91.5M).
Mermaid also earns the #5 Memorial Day weekend of all time – even though, in the most optimistic scenario, it could have potentially contended for #1. Instead, it falls behind:
- 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick ($126.7M)
- 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End ($114.7M)
- 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand ($102.7M)
- 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($100.1M)
Demographics
Mermaid’s opening weekend audience was an estimated 68% female and 50% ages 25+.
That skews more female than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (60%), with about the same age range (49% ages 25+).
Mermaid earned an “A” CinemaScore, the same as 2017’s Beauty and the Beast.
Premium formats comprised 38% of the domestic opening weekend:
- 17% from premium large format (PLF)
- 13% from 3D
- 6% from IMAX
- 2% from motion seating auditoriums
Overseas / global
Mermaid debuted with $68.3M overseas and $163.8M globally. That’s:
- -53% behind the global opening of 2017’s Beauty and the Beast ($350.0M)
- -20% behind the global opening of 2019’s Aladdin ($207.1M)
In particular, Mermaid opens with a weak $2.5M in China. Compared to the China openings for other Disney remakes or reimaginings, that’s:
- -95% below The Lion King ($54.1M)
- -94% below The Jungle Book ($48.8M)
- -94% below Beauty and the Beast ($44.5M)
- -86% below Aladdin ($18.5M)
The top 10 overseas market totals for Mermaid include:
- Mexico ($8.5M)
- U.K. ($6.3M)
- Italy ($4.7M)
- Brazil ($4.0M)
- Australia ($4.0M)
- France ($3.6M)
- Spain ($3.6M)
- South Korea ($2.8M)
- Argentina ($2.5M)
- China ($2.5M)
Fast X
Last weekend, Universal’s action sequel revved up to a $67.0M first place opening, behind the debuts of the past half dozen installments in the franchise.
Now in its second frame, Fast X falls -66% to $23.0M and second place.
That’s the second-steepest sophomore percentage drop in the franchise, coming in only one percentage point less than the prior installment, which was the steepest:
- 2021’s F9 (-67%)
- 2019’s spinoff Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (-58%)
- 2017’s The Fate of the Furious (-61%)
- 2015’s Furious 7 (-60%)
- 2013’s Fast & Furious 6 (-64%)
- 2011’s Fast Five (-62%)
- 2009’s Fast & Furious (-62%)
- 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (-59%)
- 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious (-63%)
- 2001’s original The Fast and the Furious (-50%)
Overseas / global
Fast X has earned $399.3M overseas and $507.2M globally.
Comparisons to many prior films in the franchise are hard, because some installments debuted with a simultaneous global opening, while others had a staggered release.
Still, it’s looking potentially unlikely to match the global totals of F9 ($726.2M) and Hobbs & Shaw ($760.7M).
Fast X has also earned $110.1M in China, making it almost certain to fall short of the Chinese grosses for F9 ($216.9M) and Hobbs & Shaw ($201.0M).
The top 10 overseas market totals for Fast X include:
- China ($110.1M)
- Mexico ($28.3M)
- Brazil ($17.2M)
- Japan ($14.6M)
- India ($13.6M)
- France ($12.9M)
- U.K. ($12.8M)
- Indonesia ($12.4M)
- Germany ($11.6M)
- South Korea ($10.9M)
Read Boxoffice PRO’s “Boxoffice Rewind” feature on the financial history of the Fast and the Furious franchise, here:
https://www.boxofficepro.com/fast-furious-box-office-history/
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
In its fourth frame, the Disney and Marvel Studios superhero sequel declines -38% to $19.9M and third place.
The film is holding fairly well. All time, it’s earned the:
- #52 opening weekend ($118.4M)
- #35 second weekend ($62.0M)
- #48 third weekend ($32.4M)
- Now, the #58 fourth weekend of all time
Among the 32 MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) films, it’s earned the:
- #16 opening weekend
- #12 second weekend
- #12 third weekend
- Now, the #10 fourth weekend
The film’s weekends are almost catching up with its predecessor. Compared to 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, its weekends are:
- -19.1% opening
- -4.9% second weekend
- -6.4% third weekend
- Now, -4.5% fourth weekend
As a result, its running total is also closing the gap with its predecessor. Compared to Guardians 2, its total is running:
- -19.1% behind after its opening weekend
- -13.5% behind after its second weekend
- -11.4% behind after its third weekend
- Now, -10.4% behind after its fourth weekend
It’s also closing the gap with 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Its total is running:
- -17.8% behind after its opening weekend
- -8.2% behind after its second weekend
- -3.5% behind after its third weekend
- Now, -0.7% behind after its fourth weekend
Overseas / global
Vol. 3 has earned $431.6M overseas and $731.0M globally.
For comparison, the first installment earned $770.8M globally, while the second installment improved to $869.0M. It’s looking more likely that Vol. 3 will exceed the original, though not by much, though matching the sequel may prove less likely.
In China specifically, Vol. 3 has earned $79.8M so far. The first installment earned $86.3M there, then the sequel improved to $99.3M. It’s similar that Vol. 3 might not reach either of those numbers.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Weekend
In its eighth frame, Universal’s animated video game adaptation drops only -35% to $6.2M and third place.
All time, it’s earned the:
- #32 “traditional” three-day opening weekend ($146.3M)
- #17 five-day start, since it opened on a Wednesday instead of a Friday ($204.6M)
- #7 sophomore weekend ($92.3M)
- #7 third weekend ($59.9M)
- #6 fourth weekend ($40.8M)
- #17 fifth weekend ($18.5M)
- #30 sixth weekend ($12.6M)
- #32 seventh weekend ($9.6M)
- Now, the #67 eighth weekend
Among animated films all time, it’s earned the:
- #3 opening weekend
- #1 sophomore frame
- #1 third frame
- #1 fourth frame
- #3 fifth frame
- #6 sixth frame
- #7 seventh frame
- Now, the #9 eighth frame, behind only:
-
- Aladdin ($15.6M)
- Frozen ($14.7M)
- Beauty and the Beast ($8.8M)
- Toy Story ($7.3M)
- Finding Nemo ($7.2M)
- Toy Story 2 ($7.1M)
- 1994’s The Lion King ($7.0M)
Domestic total
With $558.8M to date domestically, Mario ranks as the #14 biggest film of all time.
Among animated films specifically, it ranks #2 all time domestically, behind only 2018’s Incredibles 2 ($608.5M).
Among post-pandemic films, it ranks #4 domestically, behind only:
- 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home ($814.1M)
- 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick ($718.7M)
- 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water ($683.8M)
Overseas / global
With $717.8M overseas and $1.27B globally, Mario ranks as the #20 biggest film of all time globally.
Among animated films specifically, Mario ranks as the #4 film of all time globally, behind only:
- 2019’s The Lion King ($1.66B)
- 2019’s Frozen II ($1.45B)
- 2013’s Frozen ($1.28B)
Among post-pandemic films, it ranks #4 globally, behind only:
- 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water ($2.31B)
- 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.92B)
- 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick ($1.49B)
The top five overseas market totals for Mario include:
- Mexico ($84.7M)
- Japan ($73.7M)
- U.K. ($64.6M)
- France ($57.1M)
- Germany ($52.6M)
(China falls outside the top five.)
The Machine
Sony Pictures’ R-rated action comedy debuted with $4.9M in fifth place. That’s above Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection of $3.8M.
Within only three days, it opens above even the $4.6M projection for the four-day weekend, which included Memorial Day Monday.
About My Father
Lionsgate’s comedy opens to $4.25M in sixth place. That’s slightly less than Boxoffice PRO’s weekend projection of $5.3M.
Compared to some other comparable comedy films about dysfunctional families, that opening is:
- +46% above October 2020’s pandemic-affected The War with Grandpa ($3.6M)
- Less than +1% above 2012’s The Guilt Trip ($5.29M)
- -2% below 2022’s Easter Sunday ($5.4M)
- -30% below 2013’s The Big Wedding ($7.5M)
- -51% below 2016’s Why Him? ($11.0M)
The estimated audience for About was 54% male and 94% ages 25+. It earned a “B+” CinemaScore.
Kandahar
Open Road Films’ R-rated action thriller, starring Gerard Butler, opened to $2.4M in seventh place. That’s exactly the same as Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection of $2.4M.
It’s also +4% above the opening for 2021’s CopShop, also starring Butler ($2.31M).
However, it’s behind the openings for several other comparable titles:
- -76% behind Butler’s January Plane ($10.2M)
- -63% behind Butler’s 2018 Hunter Killer ($6.6M)
- -62% behind April’s similar Middle Eastern war-set Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant ($6.3M)
Weekend comparisons
Total box office this weekend came in around $161.0M, which is:
|
Weekend |
Total |
This weekend is: |
Leader |
|
Last weekend |
$121.7M |
+32% |
Fast X ($67.0M) |
|
Same weekend in 2022 |
$177.2M |
-9% |
Top Gun: Maverick ($126.7M) |
|
Same weekend in 2019 |
$181.2M |
-11% |
Aladdin ($91.5M) |
YTD comparisons
Year-to-date box office stands around $3.30B, which is:
|
Year |
YTD total |
2023 YTD now: |
2023 YTD after last weekend: |
Trend |
|
2022 |
$2.52B |
+30.7% |
+29.8% |
Up |
|
2019 |
$4.40B |
-24.9% |
-25.2% |
Up |
Top distributors
Universal and Disney are in first and second place, by more than double everyone else.
Disney looks poised to likely retake the lead in May or June, thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Little Mermaid.
Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:
- Universal + Focus Features: $1.05B
- Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight + Star: $926.5M
- Lionsgate: $308.2M
- Paramount: $260.2M
- MGM + United Artists + Amazon Studios: $232.9M
- Sony Pictures + Sony Classics + Crunchyroll: $194.0M
- Warner Bros.: $163.2M
Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:
| Title | Estimated weekend | % change | Locations | Location change | Average | Total | Weekend | Distributor |
| The Little Mermaid | $95,500,000 | 4,320 | $22,106 | $95,500,000 | 1 | Walt Disney | ||
| Fast X | $23,020,000 | -66% | 4,088 | 42 | $5,631 | $107,955,000 | 2 | Universal |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 | $19,950,000 | -38% | 3,940 | -510 | $5,063 | $299,425,817 | 4 | Walt Disney |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | $6,270,000 | -35% | 3,148 | -392 | $1,992 | $558,882,000 | 8 | Universal |
| The Machine | $4,900,000 | 2,409 | $2,034 | $4,900,000 | 1 | Sony Pictures | ||
| About My Father | $4,250,000 | 2,464 | $1,725 | $4,250,000 | 1 | Lionsgate | ||
| Kandahar | $2,410,000 | 2,105 | $1,145 | $2,410,000 | 1 | Briarcliff | ||
| You Hurt My Feelings | $1,389,158 | 912 | $1,523 | $1,389,158 | 1 | A24 | ||
| Evil Dead Rise | $1,052,000 | -57% | 921 | -1,252 | $1,142 | $66,200,000 | 6 | Warner Bros. |
| Book Club: The Next Chapter | $920,000 | -69% | 1,339 | -2,174 | $687 | $16,131,970 | 3 | Focus Features [Universal] |
| John Wick: Chapter 4 | $507,000 | -62% | 490 | -822 | $1,035 | $186,407,016 | 10 | Lionsgate |
| Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret | $354,000 | -73% | 458 | -1,210 | $773 | $19,647,914 | 5 | Lionsgate |
| Nefarious | $120,500 | -53% | 166 | -161 | $726 | $5,245,649 | 7 | SDG |
| Blackberry | $97,000 | -82% | 123 | -472 | $789 | $16,122,000 | 3 | IFC Films |
| Master Gardener | $94,300 | -64% | 156 | -69 | $604 | $500,892 | 2 | Magnolia Pic… |
| Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | $58,000 | -67% | 30 | -55 | $1,933 | $214,464,569 | 15 | Walt Disney |
| Sanctuary | $40,638 | -37% | 10 | 5 | $4,064 | $129,477 | 2 | Neon |
| The Starling Girl | $31,459 | 3% | 114 | 87 | $276 | $111,842 | 3 | Bleecker Street |
| Sisu | $23,000 | -88% | 49 | -225 | $469 | $7,243,495 | 5 | Lionsgate |
| Chevalier | $22,000 | -51% | 85 | -5 | $259 | $3,420,402 | 6 | Searchlight [Disney] |
| Joyland | $15,240 | 10% | 8 | -1 | $1,905 | $252,480 | 8 | Oscilloscope |
| Monica | $11,000 | -79% | 53 | -40 | $208 | $122,033 | 3 | IFC Films |
| Moon Garden | $8,510 | 88% | 6 | 5 | $1,418 | $15,457 | 2 | Oscilloscope |
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