Disney's Snow White Remake Struggles to Break Even After Slow Box Office Start

Snow White, the latest live-action Disney remake directed by Marc Webb, known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man films, had a challenging start at the box office. According to Comscore, the film earned a domestic opening of $43 million, securing the second-highest debut of 2025 so far, trailing only behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America: Brave New World. Despite topping this week's chart, Snow White's opening fell short of the $45 million launch of the live-action Dumbo in 2019 and did not meet expectations.

To put things in perspective, other Disney remakes have had stronger starts, with 2019's The Lion King, 2017's Beauty and the Beast, 2016's The Jungle Book, and 2023's The Little Mermaid all surpassing $100 million in domestic earnings during their opening weekends.

Internationally, Snow White's performance was equally subdued, with an opening weekend of $44.3 million, bringing the global total to $87.3 million, as per Comscore estimates.

The film, a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1937 animated classic, stars Rachel Zegler, a seasoned musical performer, as Snow White, and Gal Gadot, known for her role in Wonder Woman, as the Evil Queen. With a reported production budget exceeding $250 million, Snow White faces a steep climb to profitability, particularly when marketing expenses are factored in.

However, there is a glimmer of hope for Snow White. Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel to the Lion King remake, initially opened to a modest $35.4 million domestically but went on to earn over $717 million worldwide. Disney is banking on a similar 'sleeper hit' success story for Snow White, even as questions linger about the performance of Captain America: Brave New World, which has accumulated $400.8 million globally after six weekends, with $192.1 million from domestic markets and $208.7 million from international territories.

IGN's review of Snow White awarded it a 7/10, commending the film for its meaningful adaptation of the original story, rather than merely replicating it.