'Aladdin' Box Office Tracking For A Big Memorial Day Weekend Opening
Aladdin is still nearly two months away, but that's not stopping the box office analysts from getting some long range tracking in for the live-action Disney remake's opening. Since Aladdin is arriving during the big Memorial Day holiday weekend, the expectations will be high for the movie to deliver some serious bank, and right now the predictions are looking at an opening weekend that would land somewhere on the lower end of the Top 10 best Memorial Day opening weekends.
Right now, Box Office Pro has Aladdin making between $70-$95 million for the three-day weekend and between $85-$115 million for the four-day holiday weekend. If it hits the lower end of those expectations, it would land among Bruce Almighty and The Day After Tomorrow towards the end of the Top 10. But if it gets closer to the higher end, it has a chance of cracking the Top 5 by beating out X-Men: Days of Future Past in the #5 slot.
Considering the fact that there's two months between now and the film's release date, Disney has plenty of time to raise awareness and get audiences into seats for their Aladdin remake. However, fans of the original movie aren't yet convinced by the visual effects used to turn Will Smith into the genie, even if the presence of the actor himself is a plus for most general audiences. Plenty are also disappointed by the apparent human appearance the genie will have for most of the movie.
Beyond that, Aladdin just doesn't look like it packs anywhere near the same amount of magic as the original. The sets looks extremely artificial, and it feels like this movie just won't translate well to live-action. But maybe the presence of Alan Menken returning with some new songs for the remake will be enticing for the hardcore Disney fans. Even so, the studio will likely have an uphill battle that will rely on early reviews and word of mouth to turn this into a hit. Otherwise, we could be looking at another underperformer like Dumbo.
Either way, Aladdin will undoubtedly be a big summer box office player, and hopefully we'll get more confidence in this remake from director Guy Ritchie as time goes on. Speaking of which, here's a new TV spot:
A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney's animated classic, "Aladdin" is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, "Aladdin" is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney's "Aladdin."
Aladdin hits theaters on May 24, 2019.