NEW YORK — The anticipated live-action adaptation of “Snow White” by The Walt Disney Co. debuted with a lackluster $43 million in ticket sales, as reported by studio estimates on Sunday. Despite a production budget exceeding $250 million, the film aimed for greater success, especially as it revisits Disney’s roots with its first animated feature, the 1937 classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” which financed Disney’s Burbank studio.
However, this rendition of “Snow White” faced difficulties in achieving a fairytale ending. The lead-up to release was marred by controversies regarding the portrayal of the dwarfs, created using CGI, and backlash sparked by comments from its star, Rachel Zegler. These disputes led Disney to scale back its promotional events for the premiere.
Directed by Marc Webb, the film was further hampered by negative reviews, with critics largely unimpressed, marking it with just a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The inconsistent box office performances of Disney’s live-action remakes are noted, with “Snow White” potentially hitting a new low point. For context, while Jon Favreau’s 2019 version of “The Lion King” received mixed reviews, it nevertheless grossed over $1.6 billion globally. By comparison, “Snow White” fell short of the $46 million debut of “Dumbo” in 2019, and well below the $67.9 million opening of “Cinderella” in 2015.
Internationally, “Snow White” garnered $44.3 million, culminating in an $87.3 million global debut. Initial forecasts had anticipated a worldwide opening closer to $100 million, with earlier expectations set much higher.
This outcome will likely spark further debate over Disney’s approach to live-action remakes of classic films, with titles like “Moana” and “Tangled” in their forthcoming slate, and a live-action “Lilo & Stitch” scheduled for release in May. However, attempts to modernize “Snow White” faced significant backlash. Notably, actor Peter Dinklage criticized the remake for perceived backwardness, leading Disney to drop “and the Seven Dwarfs” from the title and choose CGI for the dwarfs. The project also faced criticism from some conservative voices regarding its casting decisions, with claims of it being excessively “woke,” accompanied by delays and reshoots escalating the costs.
Nevertheless, Disney has historically turned moderate openings into impressive successes. The film “Mufasa: The Lion King” directed by Barry Jenkins opened with $35.4 million domestically, and eventually grossed over $717 million worldwide. “Snow White” might benefit from the absence of direct competition in the theater for the next few weeks, achieving a “B+” CinemaScore from audiences.
In contrast, Warner Bros.’ “The Alto Knights,” featuring Robert De Niro in dual lead roles, proved to be a commercial failure. Directed by Barry Levinson, the $45 million film only generated $3.2 million from 2,651 theaters. This misstep follows Warner Bros.’ earlier disappointment with Bong Joon Ho’s high-budget sci-fi film “Mickey 17,” which managed just $40.2 million domestically from a $118 million budget after three weeks.
Additionally, “Magazine Dreams,” fronted by Jonathan Majors as a troubled aspiring bodybuilder, opened with $700,000 across 815 locations for Briarcliff Entertainment. The film was dropped by Searchlight Pictures following Majors’ conviction on two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment against his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Although Majors evaded jail time, he received a year’s probation.
The weekend, characterized by underwhelming performances, adds to a challenging year for Hollywood’s box office. As per data firm Comscore, box office revenue in 2025 has fallen 6.9% from the previous year and 38.6% compared to 2019.
The top movies by domestic box office include:
1. “Snow White,” $43 million.
2. “Black Bag,” $4.4 million.
3. “Captain America: Brave New World,” $4.1 million.
4. “Mickey 17,” $3.9 million.
5. “Novocaine,” $3.8 million.
6. “The Alto Knights,” $3.2 million.
7. “The Day the Earth Blew Up,” $1.8 million.
8. “The Monkey,” $1.5 million.
9. “Dog Man,” $1.5 million.
10. “The Last Supper,” $1.3 million.