Disney's Snow White global box office off to a sleepy start?

Dubai: Disney's latest live-action release, Snow White, opened to a lukewarm $43 million at the global box office, according to studio estimates released Sunday.

According to report published on AP, despite a production budget exceeding $250 million and the weight of Disney legacy behind it, the film fell short of early expectations.

The film, which reimagines Disney’s 1937 animated classic, was positioned as a major tentpole release.

The original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was not only the studio’s first animated feature but also a cornerstone of its early success. However, this new adaptation faced significant challenges ahead of its release.

Among the setbacks were negative headlines surrounding the portrayal of the dwarfs—now rendered in CGI—and online backlash sparked by lead actress Rachel Zegler’s public remarks. These issues prompted Disney to scale down promotional activities, including canceling the film’s premiere.

Directed by Marc Webb, the film also faced an uphill battle with critics. It currently holds a 43% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a mostly negative response.

Disney’s track record with live-action remakes has been mixed. While some titles like The Lion King (2019) brought in over $1.6 billion globally despite average reviews, others like Dumbo had more modest openings. Snow White opened below Dumbo’s $46 million debut and fell well behind Cinderella’s $67.9 million in 2015.

Internationally, Snow White added $44.3 million, bringing its worldwide opening to $87.3 million—below its projected $100 million target for the weekend.

This underperformance may further fuel discussions about Disney’s ongoing strategy of adapting animated classics into live-action formats. Several titles, including Moana, Tangled, and Lilo & Stitch, are already in the pipeline.

The remake also drew criticism during development. Actor Peter Dinklage questioned the direction of the film in 2022, calling it “backward.” In response, Disney revised the title, removing “and the Seven Dwarfs,” and opted for animated companions instead. The film also became a lightning rod for political commentary, with some critics labeling it a “woke” project.

Still, Disney has previously seen films with slow starts go on to strong final totals. Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins, opened with $35.4 million but eventually surpassed $700 million globally. Whether Snow White can rebound remains to be seen. Audience feedback has been moderately positive, with a B+ CinemaScore rating.