Disney's Snow White Remake Struggles at Box Office

Snow White, directed by Marc Webb, known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man films, had a challenging opening weekend at the box office, marking one of the lowest domestic totals for any Disney remake to date. According to Comscore, the film earned $43 million domestically, securing the second highest opening of 2025 so far, only surpassed by the MCU's Captain America: Brave New World. Despite topping this week's chart, Snow White fell short of the $45 million domestic debut of the live-action Dumbo in 2019 and did not meet pre-release expectations.

To put things into perspective, other Disney remakes such as 2019's The Lion King, 2017's Beauty and the Beast, 2016's The Jungle Book, and 2023's The Little Mermaid all boasted opening weekend grosses exceeding $100 million domestically.

Internationally, Snow White also had a subdued start, pulling in $44.3 million over the opening weekend, resulting in a global total of $87.3 million, as per Comscore estimates.

This live-action adaptation of Disney's 1937 animated classic features Rachel Zegler, a musical theater veteran, in the titular role and Gal Gadot, known for her portrayal of Wonder Woman, as the Evil Queen. With a reported production budget exceeding $250 million, Snow White faces a steep challenge to reach profitability, especially when factoring in marketing expenses.

However, there is hope for Snow White. Disney's The Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, also had a modest domestic opening of $35.4 million in December but went on to earn over $717 million worldwide. Disney is likely banking on a similar 'sleeper hit' success for Snow White, amidst ongoing concerns about the box office performance of Captain America: Brave New World, which has grossed $400.8 million globally ($192.1 million domestic and $208.7 million international) after six weekends.

IGN's review of Snow White awarded it a 7/10, stating, "Snow White is a live-action Disney remake that meaningfully adapts its original, rather than creating a lesser mimicry."