Disney’s Snow White (2025) has reached the end of its theatrical journey, closing out with a performance that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons at The Walt Disney Company.
The live-action adaptation of the 1937 classic finally arrived in theaters on March 21, 2025, following a year-long delay from its original 2024 release window. Despite the extra time and heightened expectations, Snow White struggled to gain traction with moviegoers and critics alike.
Much of the early discourse centered around Rachel Zegler, who was cast as Snow White. Comments the actress made back in 2022 resurfaced ahead of release, sparking widespread debate. Zegler had described her version of the character as more self-reliant and less focused on romance, suggesting the prince in the original film resembled a stalker. The reaction was swift, with many fans voicing concerns that the remake strayed too far from the spirit of the beloved original.
The film’s screenplay, written by Erin Cressida Wilson of The Girl on the Train fame, took a modernized approach to the story. While the updated narrative resonated with some, it was polarizing among audiences. Alongside the backlash to Zegler’s portrayal, criticism was directed toward casting choices, the reimagined depiction of the dwarfs, and the film’s creative choices overall.
In the lead-up to the release, Zegler acknowledged the backlash in interviews, commenting that much of the discontent likely stems from fans’ strong emotional attachments to the 1937 animated film.
Behind the scenes, tensions were reported between Zegler and her co-star Gal Gadot, who portrays the Evil Queen. Sources cited differences in political views as contributing to a strained working relationship, and signs of friction appeared to spill over into public events, with premiere celebrations in Europe and the United States being noticeably scaled back and marketing efforts reduced.
A deeper look into the production’s difficulties was provided in a feature story from Variety last month. According to the report, a major turning point came when Zegler posted a “Free Palestine” message on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the film’s trailer debut. The October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel had reignited the global debate over the Israel-Palestine conflict, and Zegler’s post drew significant public attention.
Meanwhile, Gadot, an Israeli-born actress and former member of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), publicly supported Israel, further intensifying the controversy and adding complexity to the film’s public image.
Early tracking for Snow White painted a bleak picture, forecasting a $53 million domestic opening against a reported production budget exceeding $270 million. Even these modest projections proved too high, as Snow White ultimately opened to just $42 million in North America.
More than a month after its release, the live-action Snow White has done little to bolster the film’s historic legacy. The 1937 original, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, holds a landmark place in cinematic history as the first-ever feature-length animated movie and the cornerstone of Disney’s animated classics.
According to Box Office Mojo, the live-action Snow White has grossed $194,769,639 worldwide, comprised of $85,294,172 domestically and $109,475,467 internationally. Forbes provided a breakdown of the financial realities facing the studio, stating: “Assuming an approximate 50-50 split means that Snow White needs to gross at least $427.8 million for Disney to cover its costs at the box office.”
The film’s ensemble cast also features Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman, Jeremy Swift as Doc, Andrew Barth Feldman as Dopey, Tituss Burgess as Bashful, George Salazar as Happy, Martin Klebba as Grumpy, Andy Grotelueschen as Sleepy, and Jason Kravits as Sneezy.
With Snow White underwhelming, Disney is quickly shifting attention to its next major live-action release: Lilo & Stitch. Originally developed for Disney+, the project transitioned to a full theatrical release during production, similar to how Moana 2 (2024) pivoted strategies.
Early signals suggest a far stronger box office performance for Lilo & Stitch. As reported by Deadline, “Six weekend-in-advance tracking has hit for both movies on Quorum, with Lilo & Stitch eyeing a $100M+ 3-day opening and [Mission: Impossible 8] eyeing a record 3-day for the franchise, well north of 2018’s Mission: Impossible–Fallout’s $61M.”
Whether Snow White can find a second chance through streaming on Disney+ or with international audiences remains to be seen. What is clear is that Disney’s live-action approach is undergoing a critical reassessment, as audiences continue to push back against new interpretations of cherished classics.
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