Snow White’s Mixed Debut Leaves Disney Hoping for Strong Weekend Surge

Disney’s latest live-action adaptation of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, is off to a rocky start at the North American box office. Despite the high-profile cast and a massive $270 million budget, the film grossed just $3.5 million in preview screenings. As of Friday midday, Snow White is expected to hit around $45 million for its three-day opening, falling short of the initial $50 million projections.

This opening mirrors the debut of Tim Burton’s Dumbo, which earned under $46 million during its opening weekend but with a significantly smaller production budget. The future of Snow White depends on strong family turnout, particularly from women under 35, a demographic Disney hoped would drive ticket sales. However, recent reports indicate interest from this group has waned, dropping from 58% to 52% in the past few weeks.

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Critical reception for the film has also been lukewarm, with a 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a trend seen in several of Disney’s recent live-action adaptations. Still, the film has a high awareness level of 94%, giving it a chance to turn things around in the coming days, especially with Saturday and Sunday matinees.

As Snow White faces stiff competition from other releases like The Alto Knights and Ash, Disney will be keeping a close eye on its international performance. The coming weekend will be crucial in determining whether the film exceeds expectations or settles into a modest debut.