Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Stumbles Into the Box Office Abyss
Mirror, mirror on the wall, is Disney’s ‘Snow White’ the unfairest flop of them all?
Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s long-awaited live-action remake of the 1937 classic is heading toward an opening weekend more cursed than enchanted, with projected earnings of just $45 million—making it one of Disney’s most sluggish debuts ever.
A Box Office Fairytale Gone Wrong?
After a Friday take of $15.5 million across 4,200 theaters (including $3.5 million from previews), ‘Snow White’ is on track to rival Disney’s 2019 Dumbo remake, which opened with $46 million—except Dumbo had a significantly smaller budget of $170 million compared to Snow White’s whopping $270 million.
That’s a lot of golden apples down the drain.
Disney’s ‘Remake Curse’ or Something Else?
Before you blame the latest trend of reboot fatigue, consider this: 2023’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’ opened at a staggering $95.5 million. So why is Snow White struggling? Some are pointing to behind-the-scenes drama, while others are calling it Disney’s ‘wokest’ film yet.
Behind the Scenes: A Tale of Two Queens
Adding fuel to the fire, reports of tension between leads Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot have been swirling like a poisoned apple’s spell. The alleged fallout stems from their opposing political views—Zegler, 23, has been vocal in support of Palestine, while Gadot, 39, a former IDF soldier, has stood firmly with Israel. Their clashing perspectives reportedly created awkward moments on the film’s promo tour, with fans reading into their every move.
The ‘Woke’ Controversy—A Curse or a Blessing?
Beyond the off-screen drama, the film itself has faced backlash for being ‘too woke.’ Fans were riled up when Disney scrapped the traditional seven dwarfs in favor of animated, magical creatures—a move seen by critics as a virtue-signaling disaster. Meanwhile, Zegler’s past comments calling the original 1937 film ‘weird’ and her political statements have left some audiences cold, with Trump supporters even calling for a boycott.
A Happy Ending? Don’t Count On It
Originally, ‘Snow White’ was expected to pull in a royal sum of $85 million domestically—but instead, it’s looking more like a peasant’s purse than a queen’s fortune. While matinee showings and Sunday night crowds could slightly soften the blow, the damage may already be done. And if history repeats itself, Disney might have to shell out massive marketing costs just to salvage what’s left of this crumbling kingdom.
One thing’s for sure—this fairytale is looking more like a cautionary tale.
