“Any publicity is good publicity,” or so the saying goes, but Disney’s live-action take on Snow White proves otherwise. The beleaguered film is off to a tough start, racking up US$87.3 million in its opening weekend at the global box office, leagues below the expectations of a big-budget tentpole.
The numbers put it behind Tim Burton’s Dumbo in 2019, which took flight at US$116 million internationally, marking one of the lowest debuts for the company’s various reimaginings of date, with The Little Mermaid (2023), The Jungle Book (2016), Aladdin (2019), Beauty and the Beast (2017), and Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) all grossing above US$100 million in the U.S. market; in comparison, Snow White and Dumbo notched US$43 million and US$45 million, respectively.
The remake also earned a B+ CinemaScore from audiences — a low grade for its type, considering an A- minimum for more forgettable works like Dumbo (A-), Mufasa (A-), and the Maleficient franchise (both As). Still, it’s not doom and gloom for the House of Mouse, as Snow White comes in at 74% on the Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter, and is currently the second-biggest opening of the year behind Captain America: Brave New World in the States.
There isn’t going to be much competition, either. The next kids-oriented film is A Minecraft Movie, but it won’t be out until 3 April 2025. Additionally, other new releases on the list, such as Warner Bros.’ The Alto Knights and Magazine Dreams starring Jonathan Majors, flopped with a respective US$5.1 million and US$700,000 global opening haul.
Disney’s latest live-action adaptation of its 1937 animated classic was plagued with controversies even before it landed in theatres. Apart from backlash over the skin colour of main star Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, and her public critique of the original movie, its portrayal of the seven dwarves and the decision to change an age-old story were subjected to further criticism.
The political friction between her and co-star Gal Gadot also factored into the equation, with the former voicing support for the Palestinian people, and the latter coming under scrutiny for her remarks regarding the Israel-Hamas war, plus expensive reshoots that set the studio back by a few million. Yeah, it’s a lot of history.
Directed by Marc Webb, Snow White follows the pure-hearted eponymous princess who joins forces with seven dwarves and a bandit named Jonathan to free her kingdom from her cruel stepmother, the Evil Queen, played by Gadot.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Yonk
