The Little Mermaid is expected to gross $110 million over the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend. The highly anticipated live-action film stars the multitalented Halle Bailey as Ariel along with a star-studded cast.
Earnings from the upcoming holiday could potentially place the maritime fairytale alongside other high-grossing films like, Paramount pic Top Gun: Maverick which raked in $160.5M during it the four-day release, Deadline reported. A windfall of this amount would also place Little Mermaid on the list with other top-ranking Disney films such as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Lion King.
The adaptation of the 1989 film will feature some changes. In addition to three new songs, the lyrics of two songs from the original Little Mermaid film will be changed to be “less offensive” for a modern day audience. Composer Alan Meneken told Vanity fair.
The film’s director, Rob Marshal spoke to The Direct about the lyrical changes to Little Mermaid songs:
“We asked Lin-Manuel to make some slight adjustments to the original lyrics for ‘Kiss the Girl,’ because it’s important to remember that the culture and sensitivities have changed over the last 34 years, and it’s vital that we are respectful to those changes,” Marshall said in a press release.
The decision to cast Bailey in the leading role, as the little mermaid, was met with controversy when it was announced that a Black woman would play the role of the fictional sea creature. Internet bullies created the hashtag #notmyariel and demanded the actress be recast. While she admitted that she was hurt by the backlash, the songstress was not deterred. She credits her grandparents for keeping her grounded during that difficult time.
“It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, telling me, ‘You don’t understand what this is doing for us, for our community, for all the little Black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you,’” The 23-year-old told Vanity Fair.
Bailey’s participation as a young Black woman with luscious locs may have been the catalyst for a co-branding opportunity. Disney has collaborated with the haircare brand Carol’s Daughter, to curate a line of Little Mermaid products. The limited-edition line features shampoos and conditioners designed to care for Black hair.
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