- Disney’s live-action “Snow White” debuted in theaters on March 21.
- The film earned $43 million domestically, coming behind remakes like “Dumbo” and “The Little Mermaid.”
- “Snow White” has weathered several controversies since production began.
Disney’s “Snow White” had a sleepy opening weekend compared to the studio’s other remakes.
“Snow White,” directed by Marc Webb, opened in theaters on Friday and earned $43 million at the domestic box office. It also earned $44 million overseas. The live-action film, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, is a remake of Disney’s 1937 animated film. According to Variety, it cost over $250 million to make.
Although “Snow White” beat out films like Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” and Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17” domestically this weekend, it still lagged behind Disney’s other recent remakes.
Tim Burton’s 2019 film “Dumbo,” based on the 1941 animated film, earned about $119 million during its opening weekend. Disney’s 2023 reimagining of “The Little Mermaid” reeled in $117.5 million in US-based box office earnings.
Disney leaned heavily on sequels and reboots during 2024, releasing box office hits like “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The “Snow White” remake had the potential to be another slam dunk, but a string of controversies may have affected viewership.
In 2021, news that Zegler would play the titular character upset some people who took issue with an actor of mixed ethnicity playing a character described as having skin “as white as snow.” Zegler also criticized the original 1937 film during several interviews, causing further backlash.
The seven dwarfs featured in “Snow White” were also pulled into the fray. Pictures published by Daily Mail in 2023 suggested the characters would be played by a diverse group of actors, which led some to suggest Disney strayed too far from the original material. Separately, “Game of Thrones” actor Peter Dinklage said the seven dwarfs should be cut from the film altogether.
Global politics also mired the film’s rollout over Zegler and Gadot’s differing views on the conflict between Israel and Gaza. Zegler has voiced support for Palestinians, while Gadot — who served two years in the Israel Defense Forces — has supported Israel, her home country.
Representatives for Disney did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
