“Snow White” opened in theaters this past weekend with an underwhelming $43 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. With a budget above $250 million, “Snow White” had set out with higher ambitions, but failed to impress fans of the 1930’s film. Critics were also largely not impressed with the live-action remake, with reviews coming in just 43% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. “Snow White” opened worse than “Dumbo” (a $46 million opening in 2019) and well shy of “Cinderella” territory ($67.9 million in 2015).
The promotion for the release was plagued by controversies over the film’s handling of the dwarfs, who are rendered in CGI, rather than being played by actors who are little people. In 2022, actor Peter Dinklage criticized the remake plans as “backward.” Disney hastily responded in a statement to Good Morning America, saying that it would consult with members of the dwarfism community to take “a different approach with these seven characters” and “to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film.” Disney ultimately opted to drop “and the Seven Dwarfs” from the original’s title, and animate the dwarfs.
There was also much backlash online over comments by the film’s star, Rachel Zegler, who expressed distaste for the original film. The West Side Story actor seemed to further provoke conservative fans by arguing the plot needed to be updated as, in the original 1937 film, Prince Charming “literally stalks her”. The PR headaches prompted Disney to pull back on its premiere.
From the start of the 2025 movie, it’s established that Snow White’s destiny is to be a leader who’s fearless, fair, brave, and true. “Someday My Prince Will Come” is replaced by a more empowering “I wish” song for Snow White, called “Waiting On A Wish.”
Efforts to modernize “Snow White,” did not sit well with fans. Some right-wing commentators targeted “Snow White” and Zegler’s casting as an overly “woke” production. This is a sentiment that can be expected when any person of color is casted in an originally white role.
The single bright spot of the film is said to be Zegler’s performance and her singing, but villain Gal Gadot has not received the same praise. Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, gives two singing performances in the film, first with “All Is Fair”, and then in the film’s reprise. However, viewers have been left criticising her abilities and what they claim to be an unconvincing performance as the villain character.
The flat opening at the domestic box office for Snow White is no doubt concerning for Disney, considering the film’s immense production budget before prints and advertising costs.
The disappointment-filled weekend added to a rough 2025 so far for Hollywood. The box office is down 6.9% from last year, according to data firm Comscore, and 38.6% from 2019.
