In a competitive weekend at the box office, Disney’s highly anticipated “Snow White” remake may struggle to maintain its position as Amazon MGM’s action film “A Working Man” opens with strong numbers. This close match-up for the top spot is unlikely to yield significant earnings, especially with other new releases like A24’s “Death of a Unicorn” and Universal’s “The Woman in the Yard” showing more subdued openings.
“A Working Man” led the box office on Friday, raking in an impressive $5.6 million in its opening day and preview screenings across 3,262 locations. This R-rated action conspiracy thriller features Jason Statham, who reunites with director David Ayer just over a year after their previous collaboration on “The Beekeeper.” The film benefits from increased ticket prices in premium formats like Dolby and 4DX, contributing to its robust start.
Current projections suggest a debut of $15.6 million for “A Working Man,” slightly trailing behind the $16 million opening weekend earned by “The Beekeeper” in January 2024. The latter went on to achieve a solid overall performance, finishing with $66 million domestically and over $160 million globally. However, critics and audiences have responded less favorably to “A Working Man,” as evidenced by a “B” grade from CinemaScore, indicating it may face challenges in sustaining its box office momentum.
As “A Working Man” rises, Disney’s “Snow White” appears to be losing steam. The fantasy film earned $3.7 million on Friday and is projected to finish its second weekend with upwards of $14 million. This figure reflects a significant 65% drop from its opening weekend, which already fell short of box office expectations. Should these trends continue, “Snow White” may struggle to surpass Disney’s 2019 adaptation of “Dumbo,” which concluded its run with a disappointing $114 million domestically and $353 million worldwide. Notably, “Snow White” comes with a hefty production budget of $250 million, raising concerns about its financial viability.
This underwhelming performance suggests that Disney’s strategy of reimagining beloved animated classics in live-action may need reevaluation, particularly when attempting to appeal to modern audiences with a film that is nearly 90 years old. Looking ahead, Disney has plans for a “Lilo & Stitch” remake slated for May, which may resonate more with younger viewers.
This weekend also marks the theatrical release of “The Chosen: Last Supper,” part of the successful 5&2 Studios’ television adaptation chronicling the life of Jesus Christ. This new season, which highlights a pivotal betrayal, is being released by specialty distributor Fathom Entertainment as a limited theatrical event, debuting the first two episodes in 2,234 theaters.
The initial response has been positive, with “The Chosen: Last Supper” earning $5 million during its opening day and preview screenings, positioning it to potentially surpass the franchise’s previous record of $7.2 million set by Season 4 in February 2024. As Fathom plans to roll out two more packages of episodes over the coming weeks, anticipation is building ahead of Easter.
However, this release will also mark the end of Fathom’s collaboration with the series, as a new agreement between 5&2 Studios and global distributor Lionsgate allows for the final two installments to be streamed on Amazon as feature-length films, along with a theatrical release component.
In other new releases, Universal’s PG-13 horror film “The Woman in the Yard” is not generating much interest, earning $3.6 million from 2,842 locations on Friday and preview screenings. Despite being a Blumhouse production with a modest $12 million budget, audience reception has been lukewarm, reflected in a “C-” grade on CinemaScore.
A24 has also entered the weekend with “Death of a Unicorn,” a genre comedy featuring a star-studded cast, including Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega. Unfortunately, the film has not struck a chord with critics or audiences, earning approximately $2.2 million across 3,050 theaters since its release. Following a lackluster debut at SXSW earlier this month, the film has not gained traction, leading to another missed opportunity for A24.
In addition, Gkids is showcasing a 4K restoration of Hayao Miyazaki’s classic “Princess Mononoke,” which is projected to earn around $3.8 million over the weekend. This restoration allows fans to revisit the beloved film while contrasting with the modern releases vying for box office attention.
