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Credit: DisneyDisney’s live-action Snow White remake has been given one final update.
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Over the last few years, Disney has struggled significantly at the box office. Huge tentpole films like Lightyear (2022), Strange World (2022), and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) all underperformed both critically and commercially.
Disney’s most recent crop of MCU films, like the troubled Captain America: Brave New World and the surprisingly fresh Thunderbolts*, don’t paint a prettier picture, each generating millions less than previous installments. However, Disney’s upcoming slate is still very exciting. The company’s live-action Lilo & Stitch remake has been a huge success. Analysts say The Fantastic Four: First Steps will also be huge for Disney and Marvel.
However, one of Disney’s biggest flops already came and went, with the film receiving one final update.
Disney’s live-action Snow White has officially ended its theatrical run, posting some seriously troubling numbers for the company. As Forbes reports, Snow White earned $347 on Thursday from 25 North American theaters, bringing its final domestic total to $87,203,963. In total, Snow White only managed to scoop up $205,638,736 worldwide, a grim number for an incredibly expensive film like Snow White.
Snow White is estimated to have cost $269.4 million, but this figure doesn’t include prints and advertising costs.
It was clear from the beginning that Snow White would stumble. In its opening weekend, the film only earned $42.2 million domestically, dropping 66% in its second weekend in theaters.
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There’s always backlash whenever Disney announces a new live-action remake of one of its classic animated fairy tales, though none of Disney’s live-action remakes have been as divisive or as controversial as its live-action Snow White remake. However, considering the original Snow White was the studio’s first animated film, there was an added sense of pressure and expectations for the end product.
Regardless of how fans felt about the actual film, it is secondary to the criticism Snow White and Zegler herself faced in the lead-up to the film’s release. The internet had a field day with the various cheeky comments made by Zegler during red carpets and other press events, with the actress joking that her take on the film may not even include a prince.
Zegler also went on record saying that the original character of Snow White was rather helpless, which she hoped to change. Fans are always touchy about remakes of classic films, but the internet is especially harsh about women-led productions. One of the best examples is what happened with Brie Larson and Captain Marvel.
Ahead of the film’s release in 2019, Larson made a few comments about the film industry and its relation to women. This led to a firestorm online, with various social media channels and content creators labeling Larson and Captain Marvel as “anti-male” and “woke.” These words were used years later to describe Zegler, who, by all accounts, was far less serious than Larson.
This is what truly caused problems for Disney’s Snow White. Now, the company was faced with controlling the damage, with months still left on the clock. Zegler would also make several posts that were highly critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Insiders claim it wasn’t just the internet that took issue with Zegler’s political stance, as her costar, Gal Gadot, has historically been staunchly pro-Israel.
Fans claimed they would be skipping the new film entirely due to Zegler’s comments, whether about women or about the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
This reportedly led to a divide growing between the two, who were billed as hero and villain in Disney’s live-action Snow White.
The film’s performance and reception reportedly prompted Disney to slow down production on other remakes, such as the long-speculated Tangled live-action adaptation. Snow White very well may find new life on Disney+, where it can now be streamed, though it’s safe to say it will go down as one of Disney’s biggest failures, live-action or not.
Did you see Snow White? What is your favorite live-action remake from Disney?