Despite the backlash aimed at The Little Mermaid when it was announced that Halle Bailey would play Ariel, all signs pointed to it potentially being one of the year's biggest hits.
The movie hasn't quite taken off in the way many expected, but despite a solid opening, lower-than-expected numbers in countries like China and South Korea led to speculation it would ultimately result in a rare loss for Disney.
With a rumoured production cost of $250 million and a massive $140 million global marketing spend, a final global haul of anywhere in the low $400 million range all but guarantees it won't turn a profit. However, business has since picked up, as The Little Mermaid passed $524 million worldwide this weekend.
It may not be a $1 billion mega-hit, but as things stand, the live-action remake looks set to end its box office run having grossed more than The Flash and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny combined.
No one saw that coming, especially when the former was billed as "the greatest superhero movie ever" and the latter is a farewell to one of cinema's most iconic characters. The fact The Little Mermaid, which itself has somewhat underperformed, topped them...well, it shows what a sorry state the box office is in.
Can Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Oppenheimer, and Barbie save the day? We'll see.
The Little Mermaid stars singer and actress Halle Bailey as Ariel, Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder, Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Art Malik as Sir Grimsby, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, with Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
The movie is currently playing in theaters.