Snow White is off to an underwhelming start at the box office.
Disney‘s live-action remake of the 1937 animated classic, starring Rachel Zegler in the titular role and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, opened to a lackluster $43 million domestically, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Amid controversy and lukewarm reviews, the opening weekend haul falls short of Tim Burton’s Dumbo, which opened to $45 million in 2019.
Despite the sluggish debut, Snow White claimed the top spot at the box office, outperforming Warner Bros.’ mob movie The Alto Knights, which disappointed with an estimated $3.2 million opening.
Overseas, Snow White earned $44.3 million, bringing its total global launch to $87.3 million, falling short of its projected $100 million goal.
Final weekend numbers will be released on Monday morning.
Snow White, which had a $250 million production budget, is a rare Disney live-action remake to receive a B+ CinemaScore from audiences. Nearly every other film of its kind has earned an A grade, according to THR.
To put Snow White‘s disappointing debut into perspective, other Disney live-action princess remakes have performed much better: Beauty and the Beast launched to $174.6 million domestically in 2017 (not adjusted for inflation), Cinderella opened to $67.9 million domestically in 2015, and Maleficent debuted to $69 million in 2014.
Snow White has been marred by controversy, beginning with backlash over casting Zegler in the lead role due to the color of her skin, despite her Colombian heritage. The 23-year-old actress and singer has also been outspoken in her support for the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, Gadot, who is Israeli, has faced criticism for her comments about the Gaza conflict.
Snow White is directed by Marc Webb, known for The Amazing Spider-Man films, and features songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the duo behind The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen.
