Disney’s Controversy-Ridden ‘Snow White’ Opens with Sluggish Box Office Debut

The Walt Disney Co.’s live-action film “Snow White,” plagued by controversy, debuted in theaters with a lackluster $43 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
With a production budget exceeding $250 million, “Snow White” aimed for a more substantial opening, especially considering its connection to Disney’s origins. The 1937 animated classic, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” was Disney’s first full-length animated feature, financing the construction of their Burbank studio lot.
However, this iteration of “Snow White” struggled to achieve a fairy tale-like success. The film’s lead-up to release was marred by disputes over the CGI depiction of the dwarfs and backlash against comments made by its star, Rachel Zegler. These PR challenges led Disney to scale back its premiere events.
Adding to the film’s challenges were unfavorable reviews. Critics expressed limited enthusiasm for Disney’s latest live-action remake, with a 43% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
While Disney’s previous live-action remakes have varied in box office performance, “Snow White” appears to be among the least successful. Jon Favreau’s photorealistic “The Lion King” (2019), despite mixed reviews, grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide. “Snow White” opened below “Dumbo” ($46 million in 2019) and significantly less than “Cinderella” ($67.9 million in 2015).
Internationally, “Snow White” added $44.3 million, bringing its global opening to $87.3 million. Prior to the weekend, the film was projected to reach a worldwide total closer to $100 million, with even higher expectations earlier on.
This outcome raises further questions