In a surprising turn at the box office this weekend, Disney's live-action adaptation of "Snow White" emerged as the frontrunner, raking in a modest $43 million during its domestic debut. However, despite leading the charts, this latest reinterpretation of the beloved classic faced significant hurdles, failing to meet initial projections.

On the international front, "Snow White" brought in approximately $44.3 million, accumulating a total of $87.3 million worldwide. The film was projected to cross the $100 million mark, but these figures indicate it has fallen short of expectations. While Disney anticipated a strong launch, "Snow White" marks the lowest domestic opening for any Disney live-action remake, even trailing behind 2019's "Dumbo," which debuted at $45 million.

Notably, the film's release sparked controversies that may have impacted its performance. Criticism over the portrayal of the seven dwarves, changes to the nearly 100-year-old storyline, and backlash related to co-stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s political stances have colored discussions surrounding the film. Disney even had to scale back the Los Angeles premiere, opting out of the traditional red carpet interviews to avoid further complications. Yet, analysts like Paul Dergarabedian at Comscore believe that families likely came out primarily because of the film's PG rating, suggesting that the controversies may not have significantly influenced ticket sales.

While "Snow White" strives to find its footing, its box office performance will determine its fate. If it mimics the path of "Dumbo," which ultimately grossed $353 million globally, it could signal a decreasing appetite for Disney's live-action reimaginings among audiences. Earlier remakes like "The Little Mermaid" (2023) also fell below expectations, making the success of upcoming live-action projects like "Lilo & Stitch," set for May release, more uncertain.

In stark contrast, Robert De Niro's mob drama "The Alto Knights" plummeted with a dismal $3.2 million from 2,800 screens, marking it as one of the year's biggest box office flops. This Warner Bros. film barely made a dent, finishing in sixth place despite a hefty $45 million production budget. With a lackluster reception, including a “B” grade on CinemaScore and a disappointing 39% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, "Alto Knights" is already being tagged as a significant misfire for the studio.

Adding to the weekend's woes, Jonathan Majors' anticipated drama "Magazine Dreams," which debuted to critical acclaim at Sundance, opened poorly with just $700,000 from 800 theaters. This film was positioned as a comeback for Majors following his legal troubles but failed to generate the expected audience turnout.

Meanwhile, Steven Soderbergh's "Black Bag" continued to do well in its second weekend, earning $4.4 million while gradually gaining momentum, with a total gross of $14.9 million so far. Disney's superhero sequel "Captain America: Brave New World" also remained competitive, securing the third spot with $4.3 million over the weekend, accumulating $400.8 million globally.

Despite "Snow White" providing some necessary spark to the faltering box office, overall revenue remains alarmingly low. Currently, box office totals are lagging about 7% behind 2024 and a staggering 39% behind pre-pandemic figures from 2019. With highly anticipated titles like "A Minecraft Movie" and Marvel's "Thunderbolts" on the horizon, industry experts remain hopeful for a resurgence in box office fortunes.

As the film industry continues to navigate these challenges, all eyes will be on how "Snow White" holds up over the coming weeks and how upcoming releases may rejuvenate theater attendance.