Contentious movie version of "Snow White" experiences poor debut
Get ready to dish, 'cuz this live-action adaptation of the classic fairy tale ain't wowing the crowds like Disney hoped!
Prior to stomping the red carpet, the reimagined "Snow White" was stirring up a Storm in Teacups. From Rachel Zegler slamming the 1937 cartoon as "sexist," the fairytale romance a "relic," and the prince being tagged as a "stalker," the buzz was far from sweet. And things got ugly quick, with the actresses taking opposing stances on the hot-button Gaza conflict. Israeli Gal Gadot, starring as the wicked stepmom, openly supported her home country on social media. Meanwhile, newcomer Zegler posted pro-Palestinian views, creating more division among the audience. Adding insult to injury, it was announced that the seven dwarfs would have new names and only one exception would be played by little people, causing another commotion. Top it all off with critics underwhelmed by the film, and you've got a recipe for a rough opening.
So, did it live up to the hype in theaters? Not really. In its US debut weekend, it managed to scrape together just $43 million, falling behind Tim Burton's lackluster 2019 "Dumbo" remake. While it topped the North American box office charts, the lack of contenders means little cause for celebration.
Walt Disney Pictures probably wasn't feeling the love, as the film's earnings failed to meet their already modest expectations of $45 to $55 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And the pain didn't end there, with the movie grossing only $87.3 million worldwide, missing the mark on the studio's $100 million target, reported by The Hollywood Reporter. All this, for a production that's rumored to have cost at least a cool quarter-billion dollars (not counting advertising expenses).
But, as they say, it ain't over until the wicked queen dies. Contrary to popular belief, there's still hope for our snazzy-boothed Snow White, with a chance at a Tigger-sized turnaround. Thanks to the success of "Mufasa," the sequel to "The Lion King" remake (which started with a measly $35 million before roaring to over $700 million worldwide), "Snow White" can still grab its slice of the pie with a strong Easter performance.
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Now, here's a brief breakdown of what went wrong:
- High Costs, High Pressure: Disney sank a fortune into this flick, with a production budget of over $250 million. This massive expense, coupled with delays and reshoots, left the movie under pressure to perform exceptionally well financially - a feat it failed to accomplish.
- New Classics vs Golden Era: Most of Disney's recent live-action remakes leveraged nostalgia to their advantage. "Snow White" and "Dumbo," being older classics, didn't resonate as powerfully as the newer ones, like "The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin."
- Sour Reviews and Scandals: The movie received a mixed reception, including declining approval ratings on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences also got burned by the controversy, both on and off-screen, which undoubtedly contributed to its underwhelming reception.
- Tough Times for Toonies: Deflated ticket sales weren't just Snow White's problem, with many films in the same period experiencing similar struggles at the box office.
[1] "Disney's 'Snow White' disappoints at box office," CNN, January 22, 2025
[2] "Why 'Snow White' could have a problem at the box office," Business Insider, January 15, 2025
I'm not going to be a big fan of this Disney remake of Snow White, given the polarizing discussions and scandals surrounding it. Despite its high production costs, it failed to generate impressive box office numbers, even falling behind Disney's previous average performance like Tim Burton's Dumbo remake. The link between the film's average reception and its lackluster earnings cannot be ignored.
