Disney’s Snow White is currently facing a challenging opening weekend, projected to earn around $40 million, which is significantly lower than expectations. Meanwhile, the film Alto Knights is experiencing even poorer performance. This disappointing trend raises questions about the factors contributing to such underwhelming box office results.
The box office statistics are beginning to emerge, and the early indications suggest that Snow White is experiencing a significant drop in performance for Disney. Factors such as negative word-of-mouth and average reviews may be influencing the turnout of family audiences who traditionally support Disney’s animated-to-live-action adaptations, typically yielding openings in the $90-100 million range. Earlier this week, predictions estimated Snow White would achieve around million—still considered disappointing for a film with a budget of $300 million. However, Deadline’s latest reports indicate even grimmer forecasts, suggesting an opening in the mid-$40 million range. This figure aligns with the performance of Disney’s Dumbo remake, which was regarded as a notable failure, especially considering its production costs were significantly lower than those of Snow White.
Despite the bleak box office projections, there is a minor positive development for Disney: the film has received a B+ CinemaScore. Comparatively, over the holiday season, Mufasa opened even lower at $36 million but managed to sustain itself in theaters, ultimately grossing over $250 million domestically. However, for Snow White to reach similar figures would require a stroke of luck, especially considering the lack of upcoming family-friendly films competing in theaters over the next several weeks.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ ambitious counter-programming effort with The Alto Knights is also struggling immensely, projected to open at around $3 million. This film, with a production budget of $50 million, is on track to be remembered as one of the most significant box office failures in recent history. The reasons for this underperformance may stem from audience confusion regarding Robert De Niro playing dual roles. Additionally, critical acclaim is vital for a film of this nature, but Barry Levinson’s direction may lack the dynamism required to elevate the material. A more vibrant director like Martin Scorsese might have transformed it into a cinematic masterpiece, but under Levinson’s stewardship, it turned out to be merely acceptable—though it may find a better reception when it premieres on Max in a few weeks.
Regardless of the circumstances, this weekend is shaping up to be another challenging one for the 2025 box office, which desperately needs revitalization and a boost in performance.
