Disneys Princess Displays Limited Box Office Magic "The Princess and the Frog," the Walt Disney Company's high-profile effort to revive hand-drawn animation, opened in first place but on the low end of industry expectations with $25 million in ticket sales at North American theaters. The film, which introduces Disney's first African-American princess, has been playing in limited release since Nov. 25, a distribution maneuver aimed at creating buzz. For months Disney's vaunted marketing engines have been working overtime: "Princess and the Frog" Halloween costumes, online games, the introduction of the movie's heroine at Disney World. The film - billed as a return to beloved animated musicals like "The Little Mermaid" - is the company's first hand-drawn release to receive the full attention of John Lasseter, the co-founder of Pixar who became Disney's chief creative officer in 2006. If Mr. Lasseter, widely viewed as an animation visionary, couldn't return the genre to glory, Hollywood figured, nobody could. It is too early to say to what degree he succeeded. Initial ticket sales are on the soft side of industry expectations, but the movie has received mostly glowing critical notices. The picture is also likely to benefit from relatively light competition for the family audience through Christmas. The film's ultimate success will also turn on its ability to boost Disney's princess merchandise, a $4 billion annual business. Sales certainly improved on Disney's last effort in the hand-drawn genre, which unspools more slowly than the computer-generated variety: "Home on the Range" in 2004 opened to just $13.9 million. "It's really hard to get noticed in December, but once you get going, the movies just play and play and play," said Chuck Viane, Disney's president for domestic distribution, adding, "This is obviously a really good result." He said adults unaccompanied by children made up 20 percent of the audience, double internal expectations. In the film, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, Tiana, a New Orleans waitress who dreams of owning a restaurant, is persuaded to kiss a frog who is really a prince. The spell backfires, and she becomes a frog too. Disney has been criticized for years for its lack of African-American royalty. Some black commentators attacked Disney's handling of the movie's characters and story early in the production process, but the finished movie has largely quieted critics worried about racial insensitivity. "The Blind Side" (Alcon Entertainment) was second for the weekend with about $15.5 million, according to Hollywood.com, a box office tracking service. The movie has sold a total of $150.2 million so far. "Invictus" (Warner) was third with about $9 million. The Oscar-touted picture, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, looks at how rugby helped unite an apartheid-torn South Africa. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (Summit Entertainment) was fourth with about $8 million for $267.4 million total. "Disney's A Christmas Carol" was fifth with $6.9 million ($124.5 total).