It’s hard to believe that earlier this year, Disney was still pretending Snow White (2025) was going to be a win. Now, the studio can barely be bothered to mention it. And why would they? The live-action remake didn’t just flop — it crashed and burned, weighed down by controversies, lukewarm trailers, and a lead actress who alienated much of the film’s intended audience.
But the final blow didn’t come from angry fans or bad reviews. It came from Lilo & Stitch (2025) — a live-action remake that delivered joy, heart, and just enough nostalgia to remind fans what Disney used to be about. While one film struggled to justify its existence, the other soared by simply embracing the story that made it special in the first place.
A Disaster Disney Can’t Undo
From the moment Rachel Zegler opened her mouth about the original Snow White (1937) being “sexist,” things started going downhill. It’s one thing to modernize a classic — it’s another to slam it while promoting your remake. Fans didn’t feel excited. They felt insulted.
And Disney’s strange marketing silence didn’t help. There was no Super Bowl ad. No viral campaigns. Just a vague trailer and some awkward press moments. When Snow White hit theaters in March, it limped to $42 million domestic. With a reported $240 million budget, there’s no spinning that as anything other than a loss.
To make matters worse, the film was obliterated on YouTube, where the trailers were downvoted into oblivion. People weren’t just uninterested — they were actively turned off.
Then Came Stitch — And Everything Changed
Just when it seemed like Disney had forgotten how to win, Lilo & Stitch (2025) dropped like a breath of fresh air. The movie blew past expectations over Memorial Day weekend, hauling in $183 million domestically and $341 million globally. It’s the kind of crowd-pleasing success Disney desperately needed — and it came without controversy.
The secret? Respecting the original. Director Dean Fleischer Camp didn’t try to rewrite history. He leaned into the emotional beats, brought back beloved voice actor Chris Sanders, and let Stitch be Stitch. No gritty redesign. No anti-prince speeches. Just a story about love, family, and chaos — the way it was meant to be.
A Clear Message from the Fans
There’s a growing pattern, and Disney would be foolish to ignore it. When the studio adds modern flourishes while staying loyal to the heart of its classics — The Lion King (2019), Aladdin (2019), and now Lilo & Stitch — fans show up. When it pushes political narratives or aggressively rewrites characters and themes, the audience pushes back.
It’s not about audiences rejecting progress. It’s about them rejecting condescension.
Snow White tried to teach people a lesson. Lilo & Stitch reminded them why they love Disney in the first place. And that’s a big difference.
The “Woke” Era May Finally Be Over
Whether Disney will admit it or not, Snow White was the peak of a strategy that just doesn’t work anymore. Fans don’t want their favorite characters turned into symbols for modern commentary. They want heart. They want fun. And if Lilo & Stitch taught us anything this weekend, it’s that those things still sell.
Snow White isn’t just a box office failure — it’s a warning. And with the success of Lilo & Stitch, that warning just turned into a funeral.
The end of “woke” at Disney?
So they deport Stitch and lock him up in a prison in El Salvador?
And Lilo gets taken away from her sister and sent to a government boarding school for native children?
Or is it a story where you choose your family.
You support your family.
Even when the government and the rest of the world want to tear you apart?
And everybody gets ham from the right side of the pig. “Nobody gets left behind.”
Sounds kinda “woke” to me.
Louis, I agree with every word you wrote! The term “Woke” has been over used and incorrectly used for ever. thank you for your comment!!!
Don’t mess with disney classics- Period !