Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Receives Rare Warning After Box Office Disappointment

It’s a rare occurrence when Disney faces a significant failure, especially when it involves one of their most iconic characters. But that’s precisely what has happened with the release of the live-action Snow White, which premiered in theaters on March 21, 2025.

The remake, which was expected to be another hit for Disney’s ongoing trend of live-action adaptations, has instead become one of the studio’s most controversial films. From casting issues to public backlash, the film’s underperformance at the box office is now compounded by unprecedented reactions from both critics and viewers.

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Disney had high hopes for the live-action Snow White, a reimagining of the original 1937 animated classic. However, those hopes quickly turned to disappointment. In its opening weekend, the film earned just $42 million at the domestic box office, a far cry from the $100 million opening Disney was hoping for. The movie’s performance in its second weekend showed even more troubling signs, as it dropped by more than 60%, bringing in less than $15 million.

The controversy surrounding the film has been sky-high almost since the beginning, with some attributing the film’s struggles to casting decisions that did not resonate well with audiences. The backlash was further intensified by problematic comments from lead actress Rachel Zegler, which contributed to the film’s growing negative image before it even hit theaters.

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This wave of dissatisfaction caused Disney to delay the film’s release from March 2024 to March 2025, in hopes of turning the tide. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

In fact, the film’s poor box office numbers were only the beginning of Disney’s troubles. Just days after its release, IMDB issued an unusual warning regarding the film’s reviews. The movie, currently holding an alarming 1.6 stars out of 10, has been the subject of “review-bombing,” a situation where people post negative reviews without having seen the film, merely to harm its reputation.

IMDB took the step of notifying users that the site had detected “unusual voting activity” surrounding Snow White, as many of the reviews were not considered legitimate assessments of the movie.

While Snow White has struggled on IMDB, it has fared better on Rotten Tomatoes, where it holds a 40% critics rating but a 73% audience score. Despite this higher audience score, the overall reception of the film has been overwhelmingly negative, casting doubt on its future. With Disney focusing heavily on its live-action remakes, Snow White’s failure could have far-reaching effects on the studio’s future plans.

In a surprising move, Disney has already begun rethinking its strategy. The poor reception of Snow White has led the company to put the live-action remake of Tangled on indefinite pause. According to sources close to the studio, the failure of Snow White has made Disney wary about continuing with its live-action princess franchise.

However, the fate of Tangled may still hinge on the performance of other upcoming live-action projects, such as Lilo & Stitch (2025) and Moana (2026). If these films do well, there’s a possibility that Tangled could eventually resume production.

Have you seen the new Snow White film? What do you think of the controversy surrounding it? Do you believe the negative reviews were warranted, or do you think the movie deserves a better reputation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!