It seems likeSnow Whitehas been cursed from the start, specifically since 2016, when Disney began developing a live-action remake of the company’s first full-length feature, the beloved 1937 classicSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which is widely regarded as being one of the greatest films ever made. However, ever since the filming ofSnow Whitebegan in March 2022, the remake has been overshadowed by a seemingly endlessstream of controversies, the effect of which is tellingly reflected in the remake’s dismal box-office performance.
Of course, most of the controversies surrounding the film revolve around the remake’s titular star, Rachel Zegler, who, after initially generating public sympathy following the incendiarybacklash against Zegler’s casting, subsequently systematically alienated large segments of the remake’s potential audience. First, Zegler disparaged the hallowed source material, which she referred to as being sexist and weird. Most recently, Zegler condemned the more than 77 million people who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election in a since-deleted Instagram posting.The resulting negativity led Disney to releaseSnow Whitewith a scaled-back marketing campaign, which many industry insiders ascribed to Disney’s lack of faith in the remake.
Indeed, despite being arguably the most expensive live-action adaptation in Disney’s history, the theatrical release ofSnow Whitewas accompanied by modest box-office expectations, which the remake has fallen far short of achieving. Even after nearly three years of seemingly continuous bad publicity, the film represents a shocking failure for Disney, which ostensibly hoped the remake would become a modern classic. Instead,Snow Whiteis poised to become one of Disney’s biggest disasters.
Snow White
Snow Whitewas initially projected to gross between $63 million and $70 million in its opening weekend of domestic release, in line with the $69.4 million domestic opening ofMaleficentin 2014. However, as the theatrical release ofSnow Whiteneared,the projection was reducedto a soft opening of $45 million, just below the $46 million domestic opening for the 2019 release ofDumbo, which became a box-office disappointment with a worldwide gross of $353 million against a production cost of $170 million.
Snow Whitefinished with a domestic opening weekend gross of $42.2 million, along with an overseas debut of $43.9 million, for a worldwide opening of $86.1 million, well below the already tepid $100 million worldwide projection. While the $42.2 million figureenabledSnow Whiteto finish firstat the domestic box office, amid a historically depressed box-office landscape,it was a bleak opening in relation to the remake’s mammoth combined marketing and production costs, which are estimated to be well north of $350 million.
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Snow Whitewas expected to handily retain the top spot in its second weekend of release with a projected domestic gross of approximately $20 million, with the remake’s only real competition being the debuting Jason Statham action thrillerA Working Man. However,Snow Whitewasput to sleep byA Working Man, which supplantedSnow Whiteat the domestic box office despite opening in more than 900 fewer theaters.After plunging more than 66% to $14.2 million in its second weekend of domestic release,Snow Whitehas a dispiriting current domestic gross of $66.8 million and a worldwide total of $143.1 million.
Rachel Zegler Isn’t the Only Box-Office Problem for ‘Snow White’
While Rachel Zegler has been primarily blamed for the failure ofSnow White, many other points of criticism have been directed towards the remake, as seen withthe remake’s 41% Rotten Tomatoes rating.One element of the remake for which audiences and critics seem fully united in their unhappiness is the decision to portray the cherished Seven Dwarfs characters with CGI, a decision that seems emblematic of the cultural and political calculations that have seemingly enveloped the remake from its inception.
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Beyondthe re-imagining of the Seven Dwarfsand Zegler’s various controversies, the box-office failure ofSnow Whitealso demonstrates that the now approximately 88-year-oldSnow Whitemythology has perhaps become too outdated to resonate with modern audiences. Indeed, while the 2023 live-action remake ofThe Little Mermaid, which now looks like a blockbuster success compared toSnow White, was also embroiled in controversy over Halle Bailey’s casting in the title role,The Little Mermaidfinished its theatrical run with a worldwide gross of nearly $570 million, a number that’s far out of reach forSnow White.
‘Snow White’ Is Far From the Fairest Disney Live-Action Remake of Them All
Disney solidified its business strategy ofadapting its library of animated titlesinto live-action feature films with the 2015 release of the live-actionCinderella, which grossed more than $540 million at the worldwide box office. Excluding the 2018 live-action sequelChristopher Robinand the pandemic-affected 2020 release ofMulan,Snow Whitepresently sits as the lowest-grossing adaptation or remake from the post-Cinderellaera, behind the 2021 live-action prequelCruella, which grossed nearly $230 million at the worldwide box office, a figure thatSnow Whitewill struggle to surpass.
ForSnow Whiteto become a box-office success, the remake needed to emulate its most immediate predecessor,Mufasa: The Lion King, which opened well below box-office expectations before making an impressive comeback and ultimately grossing nearly $720 million at the worldwide box office. However,whileMufasa: The Lion Kingdisplayed impressive enduranceat the box office, where it remained among the top four domestic-grossing films for eight weeks,Snow Whitelooks like a remake that’s ready to be put out of its misery.Snow Whiteis in theaters now.
