Snow White’s failure is a bad look for Disney, especially after this 2023 animated movie also flopped at the box office. For the last several years, Disney has been investing large sums of money into live-action remakes of its classic animated movies. Some of Disney’s live-action remakes have found success, while others have disappointed audiences. The recently released Snow White is undoubtedly the biggest failure the company has experienced in years. Reviews for Snow White have been underwhelming, with Screen Rant’s own Rachel Labonte giving it a score of 5 out of 10.
In addition to its disappointing reviews, Snow White also flopped at the box office. As of this writing, the film, which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has only made $194 million on a massive budget that is estimated to be between $240-270 million (via Box Office Mojo). Snow White’s dismal box office performance means that the film will lose hundreds of millions of dollars for Disney. While all studios experience box office flops from time to time, Snow White flopping looks even worse for Disney after Wish also underperformed at the box office in 2023.
Snow White Flopped In 2025 After Wish Flopped In 2023
Disney Spent A Lot Of Money On Snow White & Wish
While Snow White has made significantly less than many people expected it to at the box office, it struggling wasn’t totally unexpected since it has been a controversial remake for years. Snow White’s controversies are part of the reason why it has failed to make much money at the box office. In the lead up to the film, Zegler, who portrays the titular Disney princess, was criticized for her behavior and comments in interviews. Additionally, the CGI dwarfs in Snow White have been critiqued for years by fans of the original animated film.
|
Movie |
Worldwide Box Office |
RT Critics Score |
RT Audience Score |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Snow White (2025) |
$194,099,875 |
40% |
72% |
|
Wish (2023) |
$254,997,360 |
48% |
80% |
Based on these and many other controversies, it is clear that Snow White is a film that has been riddled with negative press. However, Wish was an animated movie that faced almost no controversy, but still failed to perform well at the box office. Upon its release in 2023, Wish only managed to gross $254 million on a budget of $200 million (via Box Office Mojo). Snow White and Wish both should’ve been huge hits for Disney, but they unfortunately both underperformed at the box office.
Snow White & Wish Both Should Have Been Big, Full-Circle Moments For Disney
Snow White & Wish Were Both Meant To Celebrate Disney’s History
Snow White and Wish both should’ve been major celebrations of the Disney brand. Wish was actually released on the 100-year anniversary of Disney, and includes nods to several of the company’s most iconic movies. Wish includes many Disney Easter eggs, such as Magnifico’s green horns paying homage to Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, his animated objects referencing Beauty and the Beast, and a character doing a Tarzan yell. These are just a few of many Disney Easter eggs in Wish, which are meant to honor and celebrate the iconic company.
Instead of celebrating the legacy of the original animated film, the live-action Snow White is a disappointing adaptation.
Throughout Disney’s 100-plus-year history, the company has made many amazing movies. 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in particular, is one of the most iconic Disney movies ever. Along with Cinderella and Belle, Snow White is undoubtedly one of the most popular Disney princesses. Therefore, the character deserved to get the best live-action remake possible. Unfortunately, instead of celebrating the legacy of the original animated film, the live-action Snow White is a disappointing adaptation.
Disney Can Take A Few Flops, But Snow White & Wish Hurts The Brand More
Snow White & Wish Flopping Suggests Nobody Cares About Disney’s Brand Anymore
It would be unrealistic to think that every Disney movie will be a hit at the box office. There are bound to be disappointments, and Disney is a company that can afford to have a few box office flops here and there. However, over the last several years, many Disney movies, both live-action and animated, have disappointed both audiences and critics.
Related
Snow White’s $169 Million Disappointment May Be The Tipping Point For Disney’s Live-Action Remakes
After Snow White was a major critical and commercial disappointment, Disney may need to reconsider how it approaches future live-action remakes.
In addition to several other recent underperformers, Snow White and Wish flopping at the box office hurts the company immensely, since they are both meant to be films that celebrate Disney’s legacy. Snow White and Wish flopping at the box office suggests that audiences are no longer interested in movies that celebrate the company’s history. Disney is a company that is largely based on nostalgia, so this is a major problem. It will be interesting to see where Disney goes from here after the failures of movies like Snow White and Wish.
-
Snow White
5/10
- Release Date
-
March 21, 2025
- Runtime
-
109 Minutes
- Director
-
Marc Webb
- Writers
-
Erin Cressida Wilson, Wilhelm Grimm
- Producers
-
Callum McDougall, Marc Platt
-
Wish
7/10
- Release Date
-
November 22, 2023
- Runtime
-
95 Mins
- Director
-
Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
