The History of Walt’s Original Disney Princess Sadly Changed Forever

Nearly a year after its theatrical debut, Disney’s Snow White remains one of the studio’s most widely discussed live-action remakes—long after its box office run concluded.

Last year, Rachel Zegler earned praise on the London stage for her performance as Eva Perón in Evita, directed by Jamie Lloyd, a role that recently secured her an Olivier Award nomination. But while her theater work generated acclaim, the actor’s most recent film project—Disney’s live-action Snow White—has continued to spark conversation months after audiences first saw it in theaters.

Disney’s Snow White (2025) wrapped its theatrical run in April 2025 after a difficult opening and a mixed reception from critics. The film, a reimagining of the studio’s 1937 animated classic, encountered multiple hurdles during its rollout and ultimately ranked among Disney’s less successful live-action adaptations in recent years.

The project was initially scheduled for a 2024 release but was delayed several times before arriving in theaters on March 21, 2025. Despite the extended development timeline, the film entered the marketplace with strong expectations and ongoing online debate.

Much of that attention centered on Zegler, who took on the role of the iconic princess. Interest intensified when interviews from 2022 resurfaced in which the actor described her approach to the character as more self-reliant than the version seen in the original animated film.

In those earlier interviews, Zegler said her portrayal of Snow White would move away from the traditional fairy-tale focus on romance or rescue by a prince. She also commented that the prince in the 1937 film came across like a stalker. Those remarks sparked criticism from fans who felt the new interpretation strayed too far from the original story.

Screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson (The Girl on the Train) was brought in to adapt the fairy tale for contemporary audiences. Some viewers welcomed the effort to update the narrative, but others questioned several creative choices, including the depiction of the dwarfs and the film’s tonal changes.

Zegler later acknowledged the backlash, suggesting that it likely reflected audiences’ deep attachment to the 1937 classic. In 2026, she revisited the discussion in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, calling it “confusing” to be the center of casting debates following criticism tied to both West Side Story (2021) and Snow White. Zegler added that she would “refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort.”

Behind the scenes, the production faced additional challenges as the release approached. Reports circulated about political disagreements between Zegler and co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen. Around the same time, Disney scaled back several red carpet premieres and promotional events across the United States and Europe.

Variety explored the situation in detail, pointing to a particularly controversial moment when Zegler posted “Free Palestine” on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the film’s trailer debuted. The message appeared soon after the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel.

Gadot, who was born in Israel and previously served in the Israel Defense Forces, publicly expressed support for Israel, further fueling conversation surrounding the movie’s release.

Financial expectations for the film were already cautious heading into its debut. Early box office tracking suggested Snow White might open domestically with about $53 million against a reported production budget exceeding $270 million. When the film finally premiered, it brought in roughly $42 million in North America during its opening weekend.

By the end of its theatrical run, Snow White had earned $205,679,463 worldwide, including $87,203,963 domestically and $118,475,500 internationally, according to Box Office Mojo. Those numbers fell short of the threshold needed to recover its costs. As Forbes explained: “Assuming an approximate 50-50 split means that Snow White needs to gross at least $427.8 million for Disney to cover its costs at the box office.”

The story shifted somewhat once the film arrived on streaming. Snow White debuted on Disney+ on June 11 and quickly rose through the platform’s charts.

“According to data from FlixPatrol, which charts popularity on streaming services, the movie is currently the No. 1 film on Disney+,” Comic Book wrote at the time.

Nearly four months after leaving theaters, the film also appeared in Nielsen’s streaming rankings, which track viewership across major platforms. During its debut window, Snow White placed fifth on the “Top 10 Movies” list alongside titles such as Straw (2025) on Netflix and The Accountant 2 (2025) on Amazon Prime Video. The film logged 581 million minutes viewed.

Those streaming figures suggested that interest in the film persisted even after its theatrical performance disappointed. But as the awards season rolled around, the movie found itself in the spotlight again—this time at the Razzie Awards, held ahead of the 98th Academy Awards.

The annual ceremony recognized Snow White with multiple awards. Although Rich Lee’s War of the Worlds (2025) remake collected more honors, Disney’s Snow White won Worst Supporting Actor for the seven artificial dwarfs and Worst Screen Combo for Zegler’s Snow White and the dwarfs.

While the Razzies are hardly a welcome distinction during awards season, they often attract attention—and for Snow White, they mark the closing chapter of its long and complicated journey. The history of Walt Disney’s original princess will now always be tarnished by these unfortunate accolades.

The film’s cast included Zegler and Gadot alongside 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.

Disney’s Box Office Rebounds With Lilo & Stitch

While Snow White struggled to find its footing in theaters, another Disney remake told a very different story at the box office. Lilo & Stitch (2025), which was initially developed for Disney+, ultimately shifted to a full theatrical release after early projections indicated strong audience interest.

Ahead of opening weekend, Deadline reported: “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.”

The film easily surpassed those expectations during its Memorial Day weekend launch. According to a late May press release from The Walt Disney Company, Lilo & Stitch brought in nearly $183 million domestically and $361 million worldwide in its debut frame.

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the remake went on to become one of Disney’s biggest hits, ultimately reaching $1.038 billion at the global box office. Next up to receive the live-action treatment is Moana (2026).

How do you feel about the year-long journey of Snow White? Let us know in the comments down below!