Disney's controversial Snow White opens to low box office numbers and scathing reviews

Live-action remake stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot

Rachel Zegler as Snow White. Photo: Disney

Disney's live-action remake of Snow White has missed box office forecasts amid a series of controversies and a flurry of negative reviews.

The musical, an adaptation of the 1937 animated classic, collected $43 million in the US and Canada over the weekend, Disney said on Sunday. The film, which was released on March 21, was expected to make $45 million to $55 million during its opening weekend, an already low estimate for a major production which cost an estimated $250 million to make.

Snow White's sleepy opening is very different to Disney's series of live-action remakes. The Little Mermaid collected $95.5 million in 2023, while 2017's Cinderella took in $67.8 million. Dumbo, Tim Burton's take on the 1941 animated film, opened by taking in $46 million in 2019.

Directed by Marc Webb, who has given Disney two blockbuster Spider-Man films, Snow White has also failed to impress critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 44 per cent rating.

The Guardian called it “toe-curlingly terrible” while The Rolling Stone said it was a strong contender for the “blandest” live-action remake.

Andrew Burnap and Rachel Zegler in a scene from Snow White. Photo: Disney

Some reviews also criticised Disney's decision to make changes to the original story. Instead of trying to find a husband, the new Snow White leads a rebellion against the Evil Queen. And her love interest is one of the rebels, not a prince.

The film has also been marred by a series of woes since it was announced in 2016, from the Covid-19 pandemic to accidents on set and criticism of its use of CGI, not real actors, to portray the seven dwarfs. The New York Times called it “one of the most troubled projects in Disney's 102-year history.”

Most recently, the opposing political stances of the film's main leads have grabbed headlines. Rachel Zegler, who plays Snow White, has been outspoken about her support for Palestinians. Just a day after sharing the first footage from Snow White for a crowd of adoring fans last year, she posted a note of gratitude on X, ended her message with: “And always remember, free Palestine.”

In an interview with Variety in October 2024, she doubled down on her stance. “I can’t watch children die. I don’t think that should be a hot take,” she said.

Israeli actress Gal Gadot plays the Evil Queen. Photo: Disney

“I’m only responsible for what I feel. And then I’m also responsible for how I act upon it. We’re nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on October 7, but I’ve been following this conflict for so many years.”

Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, meanwhile, served two years in the IDF, and has been open about her support for her country and its policies. “I stand with Israel you should too,” she posted on Instagram in 2023.

Some Disney fans in the UAE told The National they were boycotting Snow White because of Gadot. Palestinian filmmaker and Dubai resident Waleed K Hmidan said going to the movies will not be escapism if Gadot is in it, but “a reminder that I have a home I am unable to return to”.

“Gal Gadot has never been shy to make dehumanising comments about Palestinians and aiding colonialism and genocide,” he said, adding that the actress is proud of her Israeli military service. “I will not normalise having her appear on the big screen.”

On Wednesday, Jonah Platt, the son of Snow White producer Marc Platt, blamed Zegler's pro-Palestine stance for the film's poor performance.

In a since-deleted Instagram comment, Jonah Platt revealed that his father flew to New York last year to “reprimand” Zegler about her “free Palestine” post and to ask her to delete it, which the actress refused.

“Yeah, my dad, the producer of enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20-year-old employee for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie for which she signed a multi-million-dollar contract to get paid and do publicity for,” Platt wrote. “This is called adult responsibility and accountability. And her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office.”

Platt is a small-time actor and host of the Being Jewish podcast. He is the brother of Tony Award-winner Ben Platt. Meanwhile, Zegler's post is still up on her X account.

However, there is hope yet for Snow White. Last year, another Disney live-action remake, Mufasa: The Lion King, opened to only $35 million and mixed reviews, but went on to make more than $700 million globally during its cinema run.

– A version of this story was first published on Marc 25, 2025