New Snow White tops NAmerica box office despite grumpy reviews
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Disney’s remake of Snow White topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated take of US$43 million, but faces stiff winds — and some horrendous reviews — to make up its huge production costs.
The new live-action version starring Rachel Zegler, which comes 90 years after the original blockbuster, has faced a series of woes — from the COVID pandemic to criticism of its use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) to portray the seven dwarves.
The film’s budget topped out at an estimated US$250 million and it has become “one of the most troubled projects in Disney’s 102-year history”, according to The New York Times.
Some reviews have been scathing — the Guardian called it “toe-curlingly terrible” — while others were a bit kinder, with The Washington Post calling it “surprisingly entertaining” and audiences giving generally positive feedback.
“While it’s a disappointing opening weekend, we can’t write off the film’s performance until we see how it holds up in the coming weeks,” said Daniel Loria, senior vice-president at the Boxoffice Company.
Focus Features’ spy thriller Black Bag, starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, ticked up a notch from last weekend to second place, earning US$4.4 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
In third place, also up one spot from last weekend, was Marvel and Disney’s Captain America: Brave New World, at US$4.1 million. Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford star in the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Mickey 17 from Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho slipped to fourth place at US$3.9 million.
Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo star in the Warner Bros sci-fi tale about the many lives — and deaths — of a man who volunteers for hazardous space missions.
And last weekend’s leader, Paramount’s action-comedy Novocaine, suffered a painful drop in ticket sales, taking in just US$3.8 million. Jack Quaid plays a banker who, unlike Hollywood studios, cannot feel pain.
