The Steady Drip: 'Snow White' Opens with a Sleepy $43 Million at Box Office (Connecting the Dots: Walt Disney Co., Robert De Niro, Walt Disney Co., The Commercial Club of Chicago, Sheryl K. Sandberg & Soros Funding, All Networkings)

'Snow White' Opens with a Sleepy $43 Million at Box Office (Connecting the Dots: Walt Disney Co., Robert De Niro, Walt Disney Co., The Commercial Club of Chicago, Sheryl K. Sandberg & Soros Funding, All Networkings)

Newsmax.com

Sunday, 23 March 2025 12:49 PM EDT

Rachel Zegler arrives at the premiere of "Snow White" on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

https://www.newsmax.com/thewire/snow-white-box-office-alto-knights/2025/03/23/id/1203995/

The Walt Disney Co.’s live-action, controversy-bedeviled “Snow White” opened in theaters with a sleepy $43 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

With a budget above $250 million, “Snow White” had set out with higher ambitions, particularly since it returns Disney to its very origins. The 1937 original “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was the company’s first animated feature, and paid for its Burbank studio lot.

But this “Snow White” struggled to find anything like a fairy tale ending. The runup to release was plagued by controversies over the film’s handling of the dwarfs, who are rendered in CGI, and backlashes over comments by its star, Rachel Zegler. The PR headaches prompted Disney to pull back on its premiere.

Also working against the film, directed by Marc Webb: poor reviews. Critics were largely not impressed with Disney’s latest live-action remake, with reviews coming in just 43% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes.

There’s been a wide variance between the box-office performance of other “live-action” Disney remakes, but “Snow White” might mark a new nadir. Jon Favreau’s photorealistic “The Lion King” (2019) didn’t have great reviews, either, but grossed more than $1.6 billion worldwide. “Snow White” opened worse than “Dumbo” (a $46 million opening in 2019) and well shy of “Cinderella” territory ($67.9 million in 2015).

Overseas, “Snow White” added $44.3 million for a global launch of $87.3 million. But going into the weekend, “Snow White” had been eyeing a worldwide total closer to $100 million – and a few weeks back, expectations were significantly higher.

The result will surely add to questions over Disney’s long-term strategy of mining its vault for live-action remakes. In the pipeline are upcoming new versions of “Moana" and “Tangled." A live-action “Lilo & Stitch” launches in May.

Efforts to modernize “Snow White," though, quickly ran afoul. In 2022, actor Peter Dinklage criticized the remake plans as “backward.” Disney ultimately opted to drop “and the Seven Dwarfs” from the original's title, and animate the dwarfs. Some right-wing commentators targeted “Snow White” and Zegler's casting as an overly “woke” production. Delays and reshoots also ran up costs.

Disney, though, has recently steered a handful of films from modest starts to enviable final hauls. The Barry Jenkins-directed “Mufasa: The Lion King” opened with $35.4 million domestically, but ultimately surpassed $717 million worldwide. “Snow White” will face little direct competition in the coming weeks. Audiences gave it a “B+” CinemaScore.

Warner Bros.’ “Alto Knights,” a period gangster film starring Robert De Niro in both lead roles, was a total misfire. The Barry Levinson-directed film, which cost about $45 million to make, opened with just $3.2 million from 2,651 theaters. The flop of “Alto Knights” followed another misfire for Warner Bros. with Bong Joon Ho’s big-budget sci-fi “Mickey 17.” In three weeks, it’s tallied $40.2 million domestically against a $118 million budget.

“Magazine Dreams,” starring Jonathan Majors as a disturbed aspiring bodybuilder, opened with $700,000 for Briarcliff Entertainment in 815 locations. The film was dropped by Searchlight Pictures after Majors was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment against Grace Jabbari, his ex-girlfriend. Majors avoided jail time but was given a year of probation.

The disappointment-filled weekend added to a rough 2025 so far for Hollywood. The box office is down 6.9% from last year, according to data firm Comscore, and 38.6% from 2019.

With final domestic figures releasing Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore.

1. “Snow White,” $43 million.

2. “Black Bag," $4.4 million

3. “Captain America: Brave New World,” $4.1 million.

4. “Mickey 17," $3.9 million.

5. “Novocaine,” $3.8 million.

6. “The Alto Knights,” $3.2 million.

7. “The Day the Earth Blew Up,” $1.8 million.

8. “The Monkey,” $1.5 million.

9. “Dog Man,” $1.5 million.

10. “The Last Supper,” $1.3 million.

Connecting the Dots:

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was the lobby firm for the Walt Disney Company and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Sheryl K. Sandberg was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), is a director at the Walt Disney Company and married to David Goldberg.

David Goldberg was married to Sheryl K. Sandberg, and a director at Ancestry.com.

Timothy P. Sullivan is the president & CEO for Ancestry.com and was a director at Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

Ari Emanuel is a director at Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and Rahm I. Emanuel’s brother.

Rahm I. Emanuel is Ari Emanuel’s brother, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, was the Chicago (IL) mayor and was the White House chief of staff for the Barack Obama Administration.

Valerie B. Jarrett was the senior adviser for the Barack Obama Administration, is Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Newton N. Minow is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP and was the president for the Barack Obama Administration.

Cameron F. Kerry is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John F. Kerry’s brother and a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Sheryl K. Sandberg was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), is married to David Goldberg and a director at the Walt Disney Company.

John S. Chen was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a director at the Walt Disney Company.

Alan N. Braverman is the general counsel & senior EVP for the Walt Disney Company and was a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr was the lobby firm for Apple Inc.

Cameron F. Kerry was an associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John F. Kerry’s brother and a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

James S. Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Walter Isaacson is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation, the president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank), the writer for Steve Jobs (2011 autobiography) and was the chairman & CEO for CNN.

Steve Jobs 2011 autobiography was written by Walter Isaacson, was a director at the Walt Disney Company and married to Laurene Powell Jobs.

Michael D. Eisner is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was the chairman & CEO for the Walt Disney Company.

Judson C. Green was the CFO for the Walt Disney Company and a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Michael J. Montgomery was the treasurer for the Walt Disney Company and is a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Margaret C. Whitman was the SVP for the Walt Disney Company and a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Mellody L. Hobson is the chairman for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Francis E. George is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was the president for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

National Review Board on clergy sex abuse is an advisory group for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Sheryl K. Sandberg was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), is married to David Goldberg and a director at the Walt Disney Company.

John S. Chen was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a director at the Walt Disney Company.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the New America Foundation.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is Jonathan Soros’s father.

Jonathan Soros is George Soros’s son and a director at the New America Foundation.

Laurene Powell Jobs was a director at the New America Foundation and married to Steve Jobs.

Eric E. Schmidt is the chairman of the New America Foundation, was a funder for the New America Foundation and a director at Apple Inc.

Steve Jobs was a co-founder & chairman for Apple Inc., married to Laurene Powell Jobs and a director at the Walt Disney Company.

Albert A. Gore Jr. is a director at Apple Inc., an adviser at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and the chairman for the Climate Reality Project.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Climate Reality Project and International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Colin L. Powell is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and an adviser for Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Margaret C. Whitman was a strategic adviser for Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and an SVP for the Walt Disney Company,

Clifford S. Asness is a director at the International Rescue Committee, same-sex marriage in New York, and a leadership council member at the Robin Hood Foundation.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for International Rescue Committee and the Robin Hood Foundation.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Michael R. Bloomberg was an advocate for the ONE Campaign, a New York (NY) mayor, a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation, is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, the founder of Bloomberg LP and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

Norman Pearlstine was a chief content officer for Bloomberg LP and is a director at the Tribeca Film Institute.

Scott Rechler is a co-chairman for the Tribeca Film Institute and a director at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

Jane L. Rosenthal is a co-founder & co-chairman for the Tribeca Film Institute and a director at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

Robert De Niro is a co-founder & co-chairman for the Tribeca Film Institute and

a director at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

Michael R. Bloomberg is the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center, the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, the founder of Bloomberg LP, an advocate for the ONE Campaign, a New York (NY) mayor and a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin Hood Foundation.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Jeff Zucker is a director emeritus for the Robin Hood Foundation, was the CEO for the NBC Universal Television Group and the president of CNN Worldwide.

Ben Silverman a co-chairman for the NBC Universal Television Group and was an intern at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

CNN Worldwide is a division of CNN.

Walter Isaacson was the chairman & CEO for CNN, the writer for Steve Jobs (2011 autobiography), is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation and the president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Michael D. Eisner is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was the chairman & CEO for the Walt Disney Company.

Judson C. Green was the CFO for the Walt Disney Company and a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Michael J. Montgomery was the treasurer for the Walt Disney Company and is a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Margaret C. Whitman was the SVP for the Walt Disney Company and a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Mellody L. Hobson is the chairman for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Valerie B. Jarrett is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece and was the senior adviser for the Barack Obama Administration.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).