Snow White Live-Action Remake Turns Sour

Perhaps Snow White should have stuck with the seven dwarfs. The 2025 live-action adaptation, which didn’t feature dwarf actors, ended up being a disappointment. Star Rachel Zegler’s comments critiquing the classic story didn’t help either.

While “Snow White” pulled in $87 million at the box office, it faced financial trouble. According to Forbes, the film lost nearly double that amount.

Production Under Pressure

It seems “Snow White” went over budget, costing $336.5 million. Its domestic opening fell 13% short of expectations, and Disney was hit hard, as the film only made $205.7 million globally, ranking as the fifth lowest-grossing live-action project for the studio.

Tickets remained unsold, leading to an estimated loss of $170 million; here’s the breakdown:

The UK government allocated around $64.9 million to the production, which offset some costs, but given how box office revenue usually splits equally with theaters, Disney was left with a $271.6 million liability, yielding only about $103 million in revenue.

This led to a loss of $168.7 million for Disney.

Controversy Brews

Zegler’s pre-release comments seemed to lower expectations, even leading to a YouTube compilation of her critical remarks. She mentioned being scared by the original animated film and indicated that the new version won’t follow the traditional prince-rescue plotline. “I didn’t do that this time,” she quipped.

Interestingly, there were no actual dwarf actors in the film. After actor Peter Dinklage criticized Disney for dropping them in favor of computer-generated versions, audiences were left confused. Many, including actor Dylan Postol, echoed concerns that this seemingly progressive choice actually deprived dwarfs of significant roles in a major production featuring them.

“Peter Dinklage took issue with it, which was problematic for me,” Postol commented. “Yes, he has broken ground with roles not specifically written for dwarfs, but that ‘Elf’ role? It was crafted for a dwarf, and he didn’t seem to have trouble taking that paycheck.”

The Awakening Campaign

In the months that followed, Zegler continued pushing her narrative about diversity in various media settings. In a December 2023 collaboration with fellow Disney princess Halle Bailey, she emphasized diversity while framing herself as a victim.

As it stands, “Snow White” now ranks just above some of Disney’s infamous live-action flops. Films like Mulan (2020) and 102 Dalmatians (2000) had also underperformed, but when adjusted for inflation, they outshine “Snow White,” potentially placing it at the bottom of the list.

It’s an interesting saga, to say the least, but it raises questions about what the future holds for classic tales reimagined through a modern lens.