'Snow White' surprises, debuts at No. 1

"Snow White & the Huntsman" turned out to be a fairer box-office beauty than Hollywood anticipated.

Universal Pictures' action yarn inspired by the fairy-tale princess debuted strongly at No. 1 with $56.3 million domestically, The Associated Press reports.

That's about $20 million higher than industry expectations.

Without the built-in business that generally goes with a sequel, "Snow White" was a question mark as a draw for young males who typically make up most of the action crowd.

The movie wound up drawing a fairly even audience, with female fans accounting for 53 percent of viewers.