Disney's 'The BFG' Had A Disappointing Opening Weekend

Investors would usually see the combination of Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) and Steven Spielberg and expect success, but that wasn't the case with "The BFG."

The kid-friendly film based on the well-known Roald Dahl book had been tracking low and those forecasts proved to be accurate. "BFG" earned $18.6 million over the three-day frame and with Monday's totals, that only helped send the flick slightly over $21 million mark.

In total the movie was estimated to cost $140 million and with the animated "Secret Life of Pets" slated for next week, Disney is going to have a even harder time bumping the total grosses up to that level. Internationally, "BFG" opened in two markets (Russia and Australia) but only earned just shy of $4 million.

Related Link: Disney Rebounds From 'Alice' Flop With $135 Million 'Finding Dory' Success

The good news for Disney is that "Finding Dory" dominated the box office in its third week of release. "Dory" has now swum to a total of $380 million making it one of Disney/Pixar's most profitable. However with "Alice Through The Looking Glass" tanking and low buzz around the upcoming "Pete's Dragon" re-make, this wasn't something the House the Mouse built needed.

"BFG" was a passion project for both the studio and Spielberg as the film was the last script from longtime collaborator Melissa Mathison ("E.T.") before she passed away last year. Disney did everything possible to boost the movie's profile, but many suspect it needed a bigger name lead than Mark Rylance who just really became a name to American audiences last year with his Oscar-winning role in "Bridge of Spies."

With "Star Wars: Rogue One" slated for December and the early success of "The Jungle Book," "Captain America: Civil War" and "Zootopia" the studio is still set for a banner year but it reminds the industry even Disney can have a rocky streak.