The Walt Disney Co. faced disappointing box-office results with the opening of its live-action film, "Snow White," which generated a mere $43 million in ticket sales during its debut weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. This figure falls short of expectations, especially considering the film's budget exceeded $250 million. "Snow White" holds a significant place in Disney's history as the company's first animated feature, released in 1937, which helped fund the Burbank studio lot.

However, the latest adaptation of "Snow White" encountered a series of controversies leading up to its release. Criticism centered around the portrayal of the dwarfs, who were rendered using CGI instead of portrayed by actors, as well as remarks made by star Rachel Zegler that sparked backlash. These public relations issues resulted in Disney opting for a more subdued premiere for the film.

In addition to the controversies, "Snow White" faced negative reviews, with critics scoring the film a low 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. There has been a varied performance record for Disney's live-action remakes in terms of box office reception; however, "Snow White" appears to mark a particularly low point. The film opened lower than "Dumbo," which made $46 million in its 2019 debut, and much lower than "Cinderella," which opened with $67.9 million in 2015.

Internationally, "Snow White" added $44.3 million, bringing its global total to $87.3 million—a disappointing number given earlier expectations of nearly $100 million worldwide. The film's performance raises further concerns about Disney's ongoing strategy of reviving its classic animated features into live-action formats. Upcoming adaptations include "Moana," "Tangled," and a live-action version of "Lilo & Stitch," set to release in May.

Efforts to modernize "Snow White" have faced criticism, with actor Peter Dinklage expressing that the remake's plans were "backward." In response, Disney decided to remove "and the Seven Dwarfs" from the title and to animate the dwarfs. Additionally, some right-wing commentators labeled "Snow White" and Zegler's casting choices as overly “woke.” The film's production also experienced delays and reshoots, further escalating its costs.

Despite this shaky start, Disney has previously transformed a handful of films from weak beginnings into successful final earnings. For instance, Barry Jenkins’ “Mufasa: The Lion King” opened with $35.4 million domestically, but later grossed over $717 million globally. Furthermore, "Snow White" is likely to face little direct competition in cinemas over the next few weeks, and audience reception was moderately positive with a "B+" CinemaScore.

On a different note, Warner Bros.' "Alto Knights," a period gangster film featuring Robert De Niro in dual lead roles, performed poorly, earning only $3.2 million from 2,651 theaters. This failure comes on the heels of another Warner Bros. disappointment, “Mickey 17,” which has grossed $40.2 million domestically after three weeks, against a budget of $118 million.

Moreover, the film "Magazine Dreams," starring Jonathan Majors as a troubled aspiring bodybuilder, debuted with a mere $700,000 from 815 locations. The film's release followed a turbulent period for Majors, who was dropped by Searchlight Pictures after being convicted of two misdemeanor counts related to assault and harassment against his ex-girlfriend, though he avoided incarceration with one year of probation.

The lackluster performance of these films contributes to a challenging year for Hollywood, with box office revenues down 6.9% compared to the previous year and down 38.6% from 2019, according to data from Comscore. As these figures illustrate, the current state of cinema remains precarious, leaving audiences and studios alike to ponder the future of film releases.

In summary, Disney's "Snow White" opened to disappointing box office numbers, reflecting the ongoing challenges faced by Hollywood and raising questions about the future of live-action adaptations of classic animated films.