Disney's "Snow White" has made a remarkable debut at the box office, earning an impressive $16 million during its opening Friday and preview screenings across 4,200 venues. This strong start positions the film, featuring stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, on track to meet expectations for an opening weekend gross exceeding $45 million. If projections hold true, this would mark the second-largest opening of the year, trailing only behind Disney's own "Captain America: Brave New World."
However, like its Marvel counterpart, "Snow White" comes with high stakes. Directed by Marc Webb, the film has a significant production budget exceeding $250 million, indicating that it needs to perform exceptionally well to reach profitability. Historically, many of Disney's family-friendly films have enjoyed successful theatrical runs, much like the digitally-rendered "Mufasa: The Lion King" which premiered just a few months ago. Despite opening to lackluster reviews, "Mufasa" held strong, ultimately grossing over $250 million in North America alone and exceeding $700 million globally.
In contrast, the 2019 remake of "Dumbo" had a disappointing performance, launching with $45 million but only reaching a domestic total of $114 million and $353 million worldwide. Notably, "Dumbo" had a much lower production budget of $170 million. For "Snow White" to be deemed a theatrical success, it must replicate the endurance of "Mufasa," although it lacks the advantageous Christmas release window that "Mufasa" benefited from.
While critical reviews for "Snow White" have been predominantly negative, audience reactions seem more favorable. The film has garnered a "B+" grade from Cinema Score, indicating a positive reception from those who purchased tickets. This disparity highlights the ongoing cultural conversations surrounding the film, which have led Disney to limit press access during its premiere.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is grappling with its own challenges following the release of "The Alto Knights." This mafia drama, featuring Robert De Niro in a dual role as two identical but biologically unrelated gang leaders in New York, has earned about $1.1 million on its opening day across 2,651 theaters. Much like the recent Warner release "Mickey 17," which struggled to attract a large audience, "The Alto Knights" is another star-driven, original R-rated drama from acclaimed director Barry Levinson.
Despite a more modest production budget of $45 million, "The Alto Knights" is facing significant competition and criticism, receiving a "B" grade from Cinema Score, and has not sparked much enthusiasm among critics. It looks unlikely to make a significant impact during its debut weekend, adding to a challenging month for Warner Bros. The studio is hoping for a turnaround with the upcoming release of the video game adaptation "A Minecraft Movie."
The rest of the top five box office standings showcase a mix of holdovers. Focus Features' spy thriller "Black Bag" is climbing to second place, despite a projected 43% drop in its second weekend. The film, which carries a $50 million budget, is expected to reach $14.8 million within its first ten days. Disney's "Captain America: Brave New World" is also making a resurgence, earning $1.1 million on Friday and nearing a $190 million domestic total by Saturday.
Additionally, Paramount's slapstick action film "Novocaine" is experiencing a substantial 57% decline in its second weekend, projecting a $3.8 million weekend total and a domestic tally of $15.8 million. Just below it, Warner's "Mickey 17" continues to struggle, earning another $1 million on Friday and hoping to surpass a $40 million domestic total this weekend.
Among the new releases this weekend, RLJE and Shudder are introducing the alien-planet horror film "Ash," which opened in 1,163 theaters shortly after its premiere at SXSW. Directed by Flying Lotus and starring Eiza González and Aaron Paul, the thriller earned approximately $333,000 on its opening day. In addition, Briarcliff Entertainment is releasing the long-delayed bodybuilding drama "Magazine Dreams," which was acquired after Jonathan Majors' 2023 assault conviction led to its original studio dropping the film. "Magazine Dreams" also earned around $330,000 on its opening day, playing in 815 venues.
