After what seems like weeks of controversy, Disney’sSnow Whitedebuted in over 4,200 domestic theaters tomixed reviews.Snow Whiteis the latest in Disney’s streak of live-action remakes of past animated hits; in this case, it’s the 1937 classic that remains a favorite among audiences of all ages. Directed byMarc Webb, who has experience with mega-budget blockbusters thanks to his twoThe Amazing Spider-Manmovies,Snow WhitestarsRachel ZeglerandGal Gadot, and the fantasy remake has inspiredraging controversyfor a wide variety of reasons. Despite, or, perhaps, because of this, themovie debuted with $16 million on its opening day of release.
Snow Whiteis eying around $45 million in its first weekendof release, which is decidedly low for this sort of movie. By comparison, the big-budget remake ofDumbomade a similar amount a few years ago, before under-performing with around $350 million worldwide.Snow Whitecost significantly more to produce; reports suggest that thefilm comes with a $270 million budget, which means that it would need to show extraordinarily strong holds to emerge as a hit. A major thorn in its side is the poor reviews that it debuted to.Snow Whiteholds a “rotten” 44% approval rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, though it did earn a slightly more generous opening audience rating of aB+ grade according to CinemaScore.
A debut in the mid-$40 millions would putSnow Whitebelow evenMaleficentandCinderella, which made over $65 million in their respective debut weekends.The Little Mermaidnearly cracked the $100 million mark a couple of years ago, whileBeauty and the BeastandThe Lion Kingdebuted with over $170 million and over $190 million, respectively. Both movies eventually cracked the $1 billion mark globally as well. All these achievements currently seem out of reach forSnow White, even as it injects much-needed life into the struggling domestic marketplace.
Meanwhile, ‘The Alto Knights’ Bombed in its Debut
After debuting at the number three spot last week, directorSteven Soderbergh’s espionage thrillerBlack Bagappeared to bounce back thanks to its phenomenal reviews. The movie out-performed last week’s number one film, the action comedyNovocaine, making $1.2 million on Friday compared toNovocaine’s $1 million haul.Black Baghas now hit the $11 million mark domestically, and should pass the $15 million milestone by Sunday.Novocaine, on the other hand, has grossed $13 million so far, and should just about recover its reported $18 million production budget by Sunday.
StarringJack Quaid,Novocainewas narrowly beaten to the number three spot byCaptain America: Brave New World, which generated $1.1 million on Friday, pushing its running domestic total to nearly $190 million. At this stage, it seems highly probable that the superhero movie will hit the $200 million mark by the end of its run. But considering its reported $180 million budget and the lasting goodwill of the brand, this is a disappointing result for Marvel Studios. Elsewhere, the gangster dramaThe Alto Knights, featuringRobert De Niroin a dual role, bombed with around $1 million on opening day. Directed byBarry Levinson, the movie is poised to deliver a $3 million opening weekend haul, against a reported budget of $50 million.The Alto Knightswill battle another Warner Bros. flop for a spot in the top five. DirectorBong Joon Ho’s costly misfireMickey 17ispoised to pass the $40 million mark this weekend; this will likely be its final milestone.
Snow Whiteis in theaters now. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Snow White
A live-action adaptation of the classic fairy tale. The film follows Snow White as she escapes into the forest and seeks refuge with seven dwarfs to elude her jealous stepmother, the wicked Queen, who is threatened by Snow White’s surpassing beauty.
