Disney's Snow White: A Slow Start, But Will It Last?

Disney's latest live-action remake, "Snow White, " has made a modest debut at the box office. The film grossed $43 million in its first weekend in the U. S. and $44. 3 million internationally, totaling $87. 3 million globally. This is a far cry from the massive openings of previous Disney remakes like "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast, " which all opened above $100 million. So, what gives? Well, "Snow White" has had its share of controversies. There were complaints about the depiction of the seven dwarves, changes to the classic story, and even calls for boycotts due to the political views of some of the stars. Plus, there were expensive reshoots that added millions to the budget. But analysts don't think all the drama affected ticket sales. Kids and families just wanted a fun movie to watch. Despite the controversies, "Snow White" has the lowest domestic debut for any of Disney's live-action remakes. Even "Dumbo" did better with $45 million. But Disney isn't worried. They think "Snow White" can follow the path of "Mufasa: The Lion King, " which had a slow start but ended up making a decent amount of money. The film has a solid grade from women and a decent one from general audiences, which is a good sign. Plus, Disney knows how to make money off their films, even if they don't do great in theaters. Merchandising and theme parks are always there to save the day. Meanwhile, Robert De Niro's mob drama "The Alto Knights" had a disastrous opening weekend, pulling in just $3. 2 million. The film, which cost about $45 million to make, is already shaping up to be one of the year's biggest flops. Reviews weren't great, and audiences didn't seem to like it much either. This is the second big misfire for Warner Bros. after "Mickey 17" also bombed at the box office. Another new release, "Magazine Dreams, " also stumbled out of the gate, making just $700, 000 in its opening weekend. The film, starring Jonathan Majors, was seen as a chance for redemption after his legal troubles, but it seems audiences weren't interested. On a brighter note, Steven Soderbergh's thriller "Black Bag" had a solid second weekend, making $4. 4 million. The film has been getting great reviews, which could help it become a word-of-mouth hit. Disney's "Captain America: Brave New World" is still going strong in its sixth weekend, while Paramount's "Novocaine" took a big tumble after its first-place finish last weekend. Overall, the box office is looking a bit grim. Revenues are down compared to previous years, but there's hope on the horizon with big releases like "A Minecraft Movie" and "Thunderbolts" coming up. Only time will tell if "Snow White" can turn things around for Disney.