Disney’s live-action Snow White, helmed by The Amazing Spider-Man director Marc Webb, continues to encounter major roadblocks as it struggles to stay afloat in a challenging theatrical landscape.
The film arrived in theaters on March 21, 2025, after a year-long delay, and was immediately met with mixed reactions from fans and industry watchers alike. With a reported production cost of over $270 million, Snow White was expected to debut with at least $53 million domestically. Instead, the film opened to just $42 million in North America and has so far pulled in $182 million globally—a disappointing return for one of Disney’s most iconic properties.
Much of the controversy has centered around Rachel Zegler, who plays the titular princess. The actress sparked widespread backlash over comments she made in 2022, where she emphasized that her Snow White won’t be seeking love or hoping a prince will come and save her, adding that the prince in the 1937 original “stalks” her character. For many fans, these remarks came off as dismissive of the original film’s beloved romantic themes.
Written by Erin Cressida Wilson (The Girl on the Train), the new adaptation takes a bold, contemporary approach to the fairy tale, but reactions have been mixed. Critics have pointed not only to Zegler’s take on the character, but also to the reimagining of the dwarfs, Gal Gadot’s performance as the Evil Queen, casting decisions, and the overall direction of the story.
Zegler has since responded to the outcry in interviews, noting that much of the negative feedback may be rooted in the deep emotional connection and passion fans feel for the 1937 classic.
Attempts to smooth over tensions ahead of release included a joint appearance by Zegler and co-star Gal Gadot—who plays the Evil Queen—at the 97th Academy Awards. While the appearance was positioned as a united front, it did little to silence speculation about behind-the-scenes strain between the two actresses. Reports of differing political views had already raised eyebrows, and the absence of Gadot from Zegler’s post-release social media posts, along with noticeably scaled-down premieres in Europe and the U.S., fueled rumors further.
Political controversy has also impacted the film internationally. Following the October 7 attacks in Israel, global discourse on the Israel-Palestine conflict intensified. After Zegler posted a “Free Palestine” tweet on X shortly after sharing the Snow White trailer, the film was thrust deeper into political conversations. For Gadot—who is Israeli and served in the country’s Defense Forces—her stance supporting Israel added another layer of complexity for viewers.
As Variety recently reported, “The ban was ordered by Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar, who, according to local media, was prompted to take action by the country’s film and media watchdog amid Israel’s ongoing attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which have caused civilian deaths.” The ban applies directly to Gadot’s involvement, and it’s not the first time. “…a representative for Beirut-based Middle East distributor Italia Films, which handles Disney titles in the region, told Variety that Gadot has long been on Lebanon’s ‘Israel boycott list’ and that no movie in which she stars has ever been released in the country,” the outlet added.
Snow White also stars Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman, Jeremy Swift as Doc, Andrew Barth Feldman as Dopey, Tituss Burgess as Bashful, George Salazar as Happy, Martin Klebba as Grumpy, Andy Grotelueschen as Sleepy, and Jason Kravits as Sneezy.
As Disney assesses the performance of Snow White, the studio is putting its energy behind another live-action project that’s shaping up to make a far bigger splash. Lilo & Stitch, originally planned as a streaming title, was shifted to a theatrical release midway through development—much like 2024’s Moana 2 before it. And the gamble appears to be paying off.
According to Deadline, “Six weekend-in-advance tracking has hit for both movies on Quorum, with Lilo & Stitch eyeing a $100M+ 3-day opening and [Mission: Impossible 8] eyeing a record 3-day for the franchise, well north of 2018’s Mission: Impossible–Fallout’s $61M.”
Whether Snow White can recover on Disney+ or simply fades into the background of Disney’s growing catalog of reboots remains an open question. But what’s clear is that the road to reviving a classic isn’t always paved with gold.
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