Disney’s Live-Action 'Snow White' Apparently Bombed at the Box Office for Being “Charmless”
Other reviewers of the film called it an "ill-conceived creative bankruptcy."
Published April 4 2025, 4:27 p.m. ET
The story of Disney's Snow White is so classic that some didn't think the 1937 cartoon ever needed to be remade. And yet, Disney did just that when it introduced a live-action version of the first-ever Disney Princess film in March 2025, starring Rachel Zegler in the leading role.
Since Snow White's debut, the studio has not received the warm welcome it expected. The movie received negative reviews and disappointing box office numbers, with many critics considering it a bomb.
Here's what to know.
Why did 'Snow White' bomb at the box office?
Snow White reportedly didn't do well at the box office for a variety of reasons. During the film's opening weekend, which began on Friday, it received what NBC News deemed a "sleepy $43 million" in ticket sales. The disappointing numbers continued into its first few weeks in theaters, leading some to question if the star, Rachel's political comments, affected the film's success.
Before Snow White premiered, Disney received backlash for casting her as the fair-skinned character despite her being of Colombian and Polish descent. Rachel had also unabashedly shared her thoughts on Donald Trump's second presidential election and the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine on X (formerly Twitter).
However, while Rachel's political opinions were deemed "woke" by right-wing voters, Screen Rant reported the film also had negative reviews on IMDb, leading the movie to have a 1.5 out of 10 rating. The critics reportedly didn't enjoy the studio's use of CGI for the dwarfs, many of whom aren't little people in real life, and felt Gal Gadot's performance of the Evil Witch was "robotic."
Other reviewers, such as Wall Street Journal film critic Kyle Smith, Hollywood in Toto Podcast host Christian Toto, and YouTube film and pop culture commentator Nerdrotic, said they felt the movie itself just didn't vibe with their expectations, with Smith calling the film "charmless, uninspired and mediocre," and Nardotic calling it an "ill-conceived creative bankruptcy," per Fox News Digital.
Disney reportedly shelved another Princess live-action film after 'Snow White's' disappointing numbers.
After Snow White didn't do as well at the box office as projected, rumors swirled that Disney axed production on another highly anticipated live-action film. When the movie ultimately grossed only $69 million domestically and $145 million worldwide on a production budget of $270 million, The Hollywood Reporter announced the studio decided to "pause" plans for a live-action version of its 2010 animated film, Tangled.
The film, which starred Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, had been in active development for the live-action movie, with The Greatest Showman helmer Michael Gracey on board to direct and a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. However, Snow White's "underwhelming release" has made the studio reconsider, though it plans to move forward with a live-action version of Lilo & Stitch and Moana. So, it appears Disney isn't done with repurposing its classics just yet!