‘Snow White’ Falls From Box Office Grace: Disney’s Latest Remake Struggles to Shine
🎬 A Modern Fairy Tale That Missed the Magic
Once hailed as a blockbuster contender, Disney’s live-action Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has slipped out of the box office top five less than a month after its release. Despite years of hype, reimagining, and controversy, the classic tale’s latest retelling has turned into a box office cautionary tale.
📉 Opening Weekend: Less Than Enchanted
Released on March 21, Snow White hit over 4,200 North American theaters, bringing in $42.2 million during its opening weekend. While that secured it the No. 1 spot at the time, the performance was underwhelming—especially when weighed against its enormous $270 million production budget.
This brief success faded fast, with the movie struggling to retain momentum in the weeks that followed.
🌀 Controversy Before the Curtain Rose
The road to release wasn’t exactly paved with fairy dust:
- Rachel Zegler’s criticism of the original 1937 film stirred backlash among Disney loyalists.
- Her polarizing political commentary on social media created further division.
- Disney’s move to depict the iconic seven dwarfs as CGI characters—following pushback from actor Peter Dinklage—sparked additional controversy.
Together, these factors may have left audiences less than enchanted even before the film hit theaters.
📉 A Dramatic Drop in Week Two
The second weekend brought steep decline:
- Ticket sales plummeted by 66%, generating only $14.3 million.
- It was overtaken by Jason Statham’s thriller A Working Man, which took the No. 1 spot with $15.3 million.
By week three, Snow White had slipped to No. 4, earning just $5.9 million. And this weekend, after being pulled from 1,210 more theaters, it’s expected to earn a mere $2.8 million from 2,540 venues, sinking to No. 8.
💸 The Numbers Just Don’t Add Up
As of now:
- Domestic Gross: $81.9 million
- Global Total: ~$173 million
While that might sound respectable, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to its massive production and marketing costs.
🧱 Meanwhile, ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Builds Success
By comparison, family-friendly competitor A Minecraft Movie has been a box office titan:
- $280.3 million domestically (as of Sunday)
- Strong week-to-week retention, with only a 50% drop from its opening
Unlike Snow White, Minecraft connected with audiences and avoided controversy—clearly paying off.
🎥 Five New Releases Push Snow White Out
This weekend, a wave of new wide-release films hit theaters, crowding Snow White out of the top tier:
- The King of Kings
- The Amateur
- Warfare
- Drop
- The Chosen: The Last Supper Part 3
All are projected to claim spots No. 2 through No. 6. Even A Working Man is set to outperform Snow White yet again, landing at No. 7.
🧛♂️ One More Chance Before the Curtains Close?
Next weekend brings just one major new release:
Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners starring Michael B. Jordan in dual roles.
That gives Snow White one final shot to remain in the top 10, but prospects are dim. Theater runs may soon be over, with eyes now turning to the digital release.
📺 Can Streaming Save the Story?
The digital and PVOD (premium video-on-demand) release may offer Disney a lifeline. While no official date has been announced, it’s clear the home release is now the film’s best hope to recover financially.
Still, this reimagined fairy tale’s run through cinemas is looking like one that won’t end happily ever after.
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