Disappointing launch! 'Snow White' earns less than expected
Snow White' stumbles at debut! Falls short of expectations with $87 million in its first three days, amid continued heavy criticism.
Disney's live-action remake of "Snow White" debuted with a modest $43 million in domestic ticket sales during its opening weekend, according to studio estimates.
Internationally, the film garnered an additional $44.3 million, bringing its global total to $87.3 million.
These figures fall short of initial projections, especially considering the film's substantial production budget of over $250 million.
The film, directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, faced several controversies leading up to its release.
Criticism arose over the portrayal of the seven dwarfs, which were rendered using CGI, and comments made by Zegler that sparked backlash.
These issues led Disney to scale back its promotional efforts, including cancelling the film's premiere.
Critical reception has been mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 44% approval rating based on 185 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10.
The consensus states: "Snow White is hardly a grumpy time at the movies thanks to Rachel Zegler's luminous star turn, but its bashful treatment of the source material along with some dopey stylistic choices won't make everyone happy, either." Metacritic reports a score of 50 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Audience reactions have also been lukewarm. CinemaScore reports an average grade of "B+" from moviegoers, while PostTrak surveys indicate an average rating of three out of five stars, with 43% of respondents stating they would definitely recommend the film.
The underwhelming performance of "Snow White" raises questions about Disney's strategy of producing live-action remakes of its classic animated films. While some adaptations, like Jon Favreau's "The Lion King" (2019), achieved significant box office success despite mixed reviews, others, such as "Dumbo" (2019), have struggled commercially. The studio has additional live-action remakes in development, including new versions of "Moana" and "Tangled," as well as a live-action "Lilo & Stitch" set to release in May.
As "Snow White" continues its theatrical run, its performance in the coming weeks will be closely monitored to assess its long-term viability and impact on Disney's live-action remake strategy.
