According to studio estimates released on Sunday, Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Snow White” opened in theaters with a disappointing $43 million in ticket sales.
Despite significant anticipation, the film failed to generate the kind of excitement that Disney had hoped for, marking a lackluster debut for a movie rooted in the company’s earliest successes.
With a production budget exceeding $250 million, “Snow White” set out with grand expectations. The film not only aimed to revive a beloved classic but also sought to reaffirm Disney’s legacy. The 1937 animated version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was Disney’s first full-length animated feature, helping finance its iconic Burbank studio lot. However, this modern adaptation struggled to recreate the same magic.
Instead of a fairy tale ending, “Snow White” encountered significant challenges on its path to release.
The movie’s use of CGI-rendered dwarfs drew criticism, while lead actress Rachel Zegler faced backlash over her comments about the original film. These controversies overshadowed the film’s promotional campaign, leading Disney to scale back on its premiere.
Another factor that hurt the film’s performance was the negative reception from critics. Directed by Marc Webb, “Snow White” received poor reviews, with its Rotten Tomatoes score landing at just 43% “fresh.” The film struggled to resonate with both critics and audiences, diminishing its chances of a strong box office run.
Disney’s live-action remakes have produced mixed results at the box office, but “Snow White” appears to be among the biggest disappointments. While Jon Favreau’s 2019 “The Lion King” remake also received lukewarm reviews, it managed to earn over $1.6 billion worldwide. In contrast, “Snow White” debuted with weaker numbers than 2019’s “Dumbo” ($46 million) and fell significantly short of “Cinderella” (2015), which opened at $67.9 million.
Internationally, “Snow White” added $44.3 million, bringing its global total to $87.3 million.
Industry expectations had projected a worldwide debut closer to $100 million, and earlier estimates had been even higher. This underwhelming performance raises questions about Disney’s continued reliance on live-action adaptations of classic animated films.
Disney remains committed to this strategy, with upcoming live-action versions of “Moana” and “Tangled” in development. Additionally, a live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch” is set for release in May. However, the struggles faced by “Snow White” could prompt Disney to reconsider its approach moving forward.
Efforts to modernize “Snow White” quickly met resistance. In 2022, actor Peter Dinklage criticized the film’s concept, calling it outdated. In response, Disney removed “and the Seven Dwarfs” from the title and opted to animate the characters instead. Some right-wing critics also accused the film of being overly “woke,” while delays and reshoots further increased production costs.
Despite the disappointing start, Disney has previously turned slow openings into long-term successes. The Barry Jenkins-directed “Mufasa: The Lion King” opened with just $35.4 million domestically but went on to surpass $717 million worldwide. “Snow White” will face little direct competition in the coming weeks, and audiences gave it a “B+” CinemaScore, suggesting some potential for steady earnings.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ period gangster film “Alto Knights,” starring Robert De Niro in dual roles, flopped at the box office. With a budget of $45 million, the Barry Levinson-directed film only managed to earn $3.2 million from 2,651 theaters. This failure followed another Warner Bros. disappointment, Bong Joon Ho’s sci-fi film “Mickey 17,” which has earned just $40.2 million domestically against a $118 million budget.
Another box office letdown came from “Magazine Dreams,” starring Jonathan Majors as a troubled bodybuilder. The film opened with just $700,000 across 815 locations under Briarcliff Entertainment. Originally backed by Searchlight Pictures, the film was dropped following Majors’ conviction on two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment against his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Majors avoided jail time but received a year of probation.
Hollywood’s struggles in 2025 continued with a box office that remains down 6.9% from last year, according to Comscore.
Compared to 2019, revenue has plummeted by 38.6%, reflecting an ongoing challenge for studios in drawing audiences back to theaters. A series of underperforming films has contributed to this decline.
As of Monday, estimated weekend box office earnings placed “Snow White” at the top of the charts with $43 million. “Black Bag” followed with $4.4 million, while “Captain America: Brave New World” came in third at $4.1 million. Other notable performers included “Mickey 17” with $3.9 million and “Novocaine” with $3.8 million.
Further down the list, “The Alto Knights” ranked sixth with $3.2 million, while “The Day the Earth Blew Up” secured $1.8 million. Horror thriller “The Monkey” and animated feature “Dog Man” both earned $1.5 million, while “The Last Supper” rounded out the top ten with $1.3 million.
With a disappointing performance from major releases, the industry faces mounting pressure to deliver hits. The question remains whether upcoming blockbusters can reverse the downward trend and reignite excitement at the box office.