Disney Has Reason to Be Grumpy as ‘Snow White’ Falls Short of Muted Expectations

After grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons for years, Disney’s live-action take on Snow White finally hit theaters last weekend.

A modern retelling of the beloved Disney animated film, Snow White stars Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and Andrew Burnap.

“In the heart of a dark forest, the lovely young princess Snow White seeks sanctuary in a quaint cottage belonging to seven dwarfs, escaping the wrath of her envious stepmother, the wicked Queen,” the film’s synopsis reads.

Photo: Disney

Snow White’s Controversies Derailed the Film’s Prospects

In theory, Snow White should have printed money for Disney. The film is an adaptation of one of the company’s most iconic films, features some serious star power, and the creative talents of director Marc Webb and songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Unfortunately, for the studio, things went wrong almost from the jump. The trouble began when Peter Dinklage called Snow White a “backward” story due to its depiction of dwarfism.

Then, of course, there is Zegler, who has found herself in hot water numerous times for her comments about the original Snow White, President Trump, and the war between Israel and Hamas.

By the time Snow White arrived in theaters, Disney knew they were in trouble. Going into last weekend, the film, which has a budget of $270 million, was tracking towards a $45-$55 million domestic debut and a $100+ global opening.

A Bashful Debut

Unfortunately for Disney, Snow White came up short of even those muted expectations. Now that the dust has settled, we can officially report that Snow White made just $44.3 million in domestic theaters and 43 million overseas for a global cume of $87.3.

Photo: Disney

According to Deadline, the film’s top international markets were the United Kingdom ($5.1 million), Mexico ($4.1 million), Italy ($4 million), France ($3 million), and Spain ($2.6 million).

If we are being honest, things do not look good for Snow White. The hope ahead of the film’s release was that strong critical reviews would encourage audiences to turn out. When Snow White received middling reviews, the handwriting was on the wall.

Photo: Disney

For Disney, the hope going forward is that families (many of whom have children on spring break) will slowly but surely head to theaters to see the latest princess film. Perhaps, like Mufasa and Elemental before it, the film will eventually find its audiance and have an extended box office run.

Photo: Disney

It may be a long shot, but it is the only glimmer of hope remaining.

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