1
Credit: DisneyIs this the end of Disney’s live-action division?
Related: Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Just Named ‘Most Polluted’ Film Since 2019
Disney has a treasure trove of animated and live-action films in its collection; this is undeniable. However, over the last decade, Disney has shifted its focus to sequels and reboots. While the quality of these projects can and has been debated, for the most part, Disney is still churning out family-friendly, well-received films.
There are exceptions, of course, with 2022’s Lightyear and Strange World bombing both commercially and critically. Other films, like 2023’s Wish, failed to resonate culturally, ending up somewhat forgotten amongst Disney’s ever-expanding catalog.
Disney’s most divisive and lucrative detour has been live-action remakes, with the company practically releasing one every year. Success has been different with each release, though certain films have been huge hits. This isn’t the case with Disney’s most recent live-action remake, however.
Disney’s Snow White Disaster
Related: Popular Disney World Restaurant Denies Frustrated Guests’ Service After Keeping Them Waiting
Few films have proven to be as controversial and divisive as Disney’s live-action Snow White remake.
Released in March 2025 and starring Rachel Zegler, an actress who, despite her age, has already made a name for herself with films like Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story remake as well as 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Snow White seemingly had all of the elements needed to sweep the box office.
Instead, the film has become one of Disney’s biggest bombs in recent memory, earning a meager $79 million domestically. Globally, things are better but still not good, with Snow White landing just above $170 million. These are devastating numbers for what Disney likely predicted would be another hit, with the film also being panned by both critics and casual moviegoers.
Snow White quickly became one of the worst-viewed films on the popular movie database IMDB, though the website has since issued a statement claiming a portion of these ratings may not be accurate. Many weren’t on board from the start, seeing Disney’s original Snow White as an “untouchable” film that couldn’t possibly be made any better or more entertaining.
Others took issue with Snow White herself, Rachel Zegler, who made some rather divisive remarks ahead of the film’s release. Zegler cracked jokes at the original animated film’s expense, namely its portrayal of Snow White and the need for a prince to save her. Zegler joked that her new version of the film might not even include a prince. Other comments drew criticism as well, though it was easy to tell they were all made in jest.
Unfortunately, the internet is often deaf to irony or subtly, and an unorganized campaign slowly formed against Snow White and the film’s star herself.
Many deemed Zegler, and in turn, Disney, “Woke,” a common catch-all term that has basically lost any and all meaning in the modern digital world. Some analysts have blamed Zegler and her divisive comments for the film’s lackluster performance, claiming she directly impacted the success of Disney’s Snow White.
Others say it had more to do with the timing of the film and the landscape of the movie industry as a whole. Live-action remakes simply are not as popular as they once were. Of course, there are outliers, with 2019’s The Lion King becoming one of the world’s highest-grossing films.
But more recently, movies like The Little Mermaid have seen a decline in overall box office performance and general excitement compared to older releases.
The Future
Related: Sold Out Event Returns to Disney World, But There’s a BIG Catch
Disney is now in an interesting position, as the company likely has many more live-action films planned but may be reconsidering moving forward with them now. The long-rumored, recently confirmed live-action Tangled remake has been put on hold in the wake of Snow White‘s release, though it hasn’t been confirmed if this was done due to the film’s poor performance.
It’s certainly concerning for Disney when one of its flagship titles fails to deliver in a market that seems to be quite healthy for children’s films. A Minecraft Movie soared past expectations, enjoying the biggest opening weekend for a video game-themed movie of all time.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Disney, but it’s possible fans can expect to see fewer live-action remakes and sequels. This isn’t to say that movies aren’t already in the pipeline, with the Lilo & Stitch remake coming this year likely posed to dominate the summer box office.
Disney’s live-action Moana film is expected to be released next summer. While quite surprising, given the newness of the original Moana film, it could also prove to be a big hit for the company. Both of Disney’s original animated Moana films have been huge successes at the box office, and with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson set to reprise his role as Maui, the live-action version has significant star power.
What are your thoughts on Disney’s new Snow White film?