‘The Little Mermaid’ Sets Disney+ Record
As it turns out, fans were ready to make Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid a part of their world.
The retelling of the Disney animated classic surpassed 16 million views in its first five days on Disney+, making it the most-viewed Disney movie premiere on the streaming platform since Hocus Pocus 2.
![Ariel smiles and points](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidarielsnewfriend-e1688659850521-1024x535.jpg)
![Ariel smiles and points](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidarielsnewfriend-e1688659850521-1024x535.jpg)
Image: Disney
Good News For Ariel
The debut is great news for Disney after The Little Mermaid was only able to tread water at the box office, bringing in $569 million.
While that number was respectable, the film was weighed down by its $250 million production budget. The Little Mermaid was also unable to keep pace with Disney’s live-action remakes of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, all of which crossed the $1 billion mark at the box office.
![Ariel appreciates where she lives](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidundertheseascene-1024x433.jpg)
![Ariel appreciates where she lives](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidundertheseascene-1024x433.jpg)
Image: Disney
The Little Mermaid starred Halle Bailey as Ariel, a young curious mermaid who dreams of joining the human world on land.
Rob Marshall’s live-action take on the classic animated film also starred Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
![Ariel tries not to become shark food](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidsharkfighthiding-1024x740.jpg)
![Ariel tries not to become shark food](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidsharkfighthiding-1024x740.jpg)
Image: Disney
Will The Franchise Continue?
Perhaps if The Little Mermaid can continue to post strong numbers on streaming, Disney will consider continuing the franchise.
![Ariel rescues Eric by singing to him](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidsirensongonbeach-1024x429.jpg)
![Ariel rescues Eric by singing to him](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidsirensongonbeach-1024x429.jpg)
(L-R): Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action THE LITTLE MERMAID. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In April of this year, Rob Marshall hinted that there was a potential for a sequel if the film was successful, saying, “It’s a classic story that has a lot of characters and a lot of interesting stories. I do think it’s right for certain things. But you have to see how a movie plays, and how it does… I think there’s always opportunity to find stories within stories. That’s always a wonderful thing.”
![The Little Mermaid -- Ariel touches tries to break surface tension](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidarielrescue-1024x576.jpeg)
![The Little Mermaid -- Ariel touches tries to break surface tension](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/thelittlemermaidarielrescue-1024x576.jpeg)
Photo: Disney
Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King have also both expressed interest in reprising their characters.
We will see what happens! Keep following MickeyBlog for more Disney news.
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