Disney’s “Snow White” Dazzles the Box Office—But Can It Escape the Curse of High Expectations?

It’s official—Disney’s latest live-action fairytale, “Snow White,” is ruling the box office kingdom, but can it hold onto the throne? The musical fantasy, starring Rachel Zegler as the iconic princess and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, conjured up a solid $16 million across Friday and preview screenings from 4,200 venues. That’s enough to keep “Snow White” in line with projections for a weekend opening north of $45 million.

If those numbers hold, “Snow White” would secure the second-biggest debut of the year, trailing only behind Disney’s own “Captain America: Brave New World.” However, here’s the catch: with a staggering $250 million budget, the film needs to pull a true fairy tale miracle to avoid being another costly misstep in Disney’s live-action era. The stakes are high, and the climb to profitability is looking steeper than the Seven Dwarfs’ mountain home.

A Tale of Two Fairytales: Hit or Miss?

Disney’s recent track record with family-friendly spectacles is a mixed bag. Last December’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” defied poor reviews and a modest $35 million debut to ultimately roar past $700 million worldwide. On the flip side, 2019’s “Dumbo” started strong with $45 million but barely flapped its way to $353 million globally—a disaster considering its $170 million budget.

The question now: will “Snow White” have the legs to follow “Mufasa’s” triumphant path, or will it tumble like “Dumbo”? The film’s reviews haven’t been exactly magical, though audiences seem to be more forgiving, awarding it a respectable “B+” CinemaScore. However, “Snow White” has also found itself entangled in online culture wars, leading Disney to scale back press access at its premiere. Will controversy fuel curiosity—or repel ticket buyers?

Meanwhile, a Crime Drama Gets Buried

While “Snow White” is at least putting up a fight, Warner Bros. might already be waving the white flag on its mob drama, “The Alto Knights.” Despite boasting a double dose of Robert De Niro as twin (but unrelated) crime bosses, the film whiffed hard, pulling in a pitiful $1.17 million across Friday and previews. That’s in 2,651 theaters, no less—an opening more embarrassing than a gangster caught without his crew.

Warner Bros. is having a rough go of it this March, with “The Alto Knights” following the underwhelming “Mickey 17″—another star-studded project that crashed and burned at the box office. Unlike “Mickey 17’s” budget-busting nine-figure gamble, “The Alto Knights” was a more measured bet at $45 million. But here’s the problem: nobody is showing up. With a middling “B” CinemaScore and critics shrugging it off, this one is already getting fitted for cement shoes.

The Box Office Brawl: Who’s Holding Up?

The rest of the weekend’s box office looks like a battlefield of holdovers:

• “Black Bag” is sneaking into second place, despite a 43% drop in its second weekend. Focus Features had hoped for better legs on the $50 million spy thriller, but it’s limping to a 10-day total of just $14.8 million.
• “Captain America: Brave New World” is making a surprising comeback, climbing to third place with another $1.1 million on Friday. The Marvel juggernaut will cross the $190 million domestic milestone this weekend.
• “Novocaine” from Paramount is taking a hard hit, tumbling 57% in its second outing with a projected $3.8 million weekend. That brings its domestic total to a mere $15.8 million—a painful pill to swallow.
• “Mickey 17” is still lurking just below, adding another $1 million on Friday and crawling past $40 million domestic. It’s proving to be a slow-motion disaster for Warner Bros.

The Underdogs: New Entries Trying to Make a Mark

Beyond the big studio tentpoles, indie and genre films are also trying to carve out their space. RLJE and Shudder’s sci-fi horror “Ash” landed in 1,163 theaters just days after its SXSW premiere, pulling in $333,000 on opening day. Meanwhile, the long-shelved “Magazine Dreams”, starring embattled actor Jonathan Majors, barely eked out $330,000 in 815 venues after being dumped by Searchlight Pictures following Majors’ legal troubles.

Happily Ever After—or the Beginning of a Box Office Nightmare?

“Snow White” may have found its way to the top, but with sky-high expectations and an expensive price tag, the real test is just beginning. Will it transform into a box office Cinderella story or remain another costly misstep in Disney’s live-action vault?

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is left licking its wounds, praying “A Minecraft Movie” in two weeks can help salvage a brutal box office run.

What do you think—will “Snow White” rise to the occasion, or is it doomed to bite the poisoned apple?