Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White has taken the top spot at the domestic box office with a leading $43 million debut. However, given the fairy tale reboot’s massive production budget, the number is considered to be somewhat sluggish. While the film struggled to captivate American audiences, its performance overseas also fell short of expectations, grossing $44.3 million for a global launch of $87.3 million. That said, can the remake regain its momentum and reach its global haul of $100 million, or will it continue to underperform?
Controversies Surrounding Iconic Snow White Story
Unfortunately, Snow White hit the big scream amidst a swirl of controversies, including backlash over changes to the beloved, nearly 100-year-old story and its depiction of the seven dwarves. Additionally, the public stances on the Isreal-Hamas war from co-stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot became an issue, sparking calls for boycotts. Not only that, but expensive reshoots added millions to the film’s budget, making matters even worse.
Despite these challenges, Disney changed tactics with a more subdued Los Angeles premiere. Specifically, to minimize potential controversy, the company removed the traditional red-carpet interviews. Yet, according to analysts, this move may have been unnecessary as the wave of bad publicity may have had little impact on the film’s overall ticket sales. Furthermore, its casting choices were also criticized, particularly Rachel Zegler being chosen to play Snow White. Notably, Ziegler was highly recommended for the role by Steven Spielberg, who directed her in the 2021 film adaptation of West Side Story.
Another Lackluster Debut for Disney Remakes
According to senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian, the controversies surrounding a film’s release are never ideal. Nevertheless, he suggests that Snow White‘s PG rating and unawareness of its surrounding controversies were likely reasons that families with young children went to see it. Yet, the cinematic reimagining of the 1937 animated classic has achieved a lackluster domestic debut, making it the lowest opening among Disney’s various reimaginings. In fact, the film didn’t even surpass the 2019 film, Dumbo, which debuted with $45 million.
- The Little Mermaid
- The Jungle Book
- Aladdin
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Lion King
Among these films, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King would become billion-dollar blockbusters, while The Jungle Book came close with a staggering $967 million.
