AceShowbiz - Disney's live-action remake of "Snow White" earned $43 million during its opening weekend in North America, according to Box Office Mojo. Despite its $270 million budget, the film fell short of the projected $48-$58 million, making it one of Disney's lowest-earning live-action remakes.

The global box office tells a different story. With an additional $87.3 million from 52 international markets, the film is off to a more promising start outside North America. This global performance has kept it from being a total disappointment, despite the underwhelming domestic numbers.

The film, starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, unseated the Chinese animated epic "Ne Zha 2" from its top spot at the global box office.

"Ne Zha 2," which is based on Xu Zhonglin's 16th-century novel "Investiture of the Gods" and has accumulated $2.1 billion globally, had held the top spot for eight consecutive weeks.

"Snow White" faced a barrage of backlash even before its debut. The casting of Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian and Polish descent, led to racist criticism. Additionally, Peter Dinklage accused Disney of "hypocrisy" for perpetuating the story's portrayal of dwarfs.

Despite the controversies and a slow start, the film does have a precedent of overcoming initial hurdles. Disney's "The Little Mermaid" (2023) similarly had a modest opening but eventually grossed nearly $570 million worldwide, far exceeding its budget.

Director Marc Webb praised Zegler's casting, stating, "Rachel's extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts. Her strength, intelligence, and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale."

Zegler's onscreen love interest echoed the sentiments, "I had an absolute blast working on that. I think Rachel is truly a once-in-a-generation talent, and I hope people will be as moved by what she did as I was."

As for Gadot, she shared her excitement about playing the Evil Queen, "I'm so excited and I cannot wait to get into the shoes and the crown of the Evil Queen."

In contrast, other films struggled at the domestic box office. Steven Soderbergh's "Black Bag" and Marvel's "Captain America: Brave New World" earned $4.4 million and $4.1 million, respectively.

As moviegoers eagerly await new releases, the coming weeks will tell if "Snow White" can, like its protagonist, rise above adversity and achieve a fairytale ending. Disney hopes that with the right mix of marketing and audience goodwill, the film will follow in the footsteps of its live-action peers and exceed its initial limitations.

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