Disney’s Snow White Remake May Face Uphill Battle to Break Even After Sleepy Start at the Box Office

Snow White, directed by Marc Webb of The Amazing Spider-Man fame, experienced a challenging opening weekend at the box office, securing one of the lowest domestic totals for any Disney remake to date. According to Comscore, the film debuted with $43 million domestically, marking the second highest opening of 2025 so far, trailing only behind the MCU's Captain America: Brave New World. Despite topping the charts for the week, Snow White fell short of the $45 million domestic launch of the live-action Dumbo from 2019 and did not meet expectations.

To put this into perspective, other Disney live-action remakes have enjoyed stronger starts. The Lion King in 2019, Beauty and the Beast in 2017, The Jungle Book in 2016, and The Little Mermaid in 2023 all surpassed $100 million in their opening weekends domestically.

Internationally, Snow White's performance was similarly subdued, with an opening weekend haul of $44.3 million. This brings the film's total global box office to $87.3 million, as reported by Comscore.

Snow White is a live-action adaptation of Disney's beloved 1937 animated classic, featuring Rachel Zegler, a seasoned musical actress, in the titular role, and Gal Gadot, known for her portrayal of Wonder Woman, as the Evil Queen. With a reported production budget exceeding $250 million, the film faces a steep challenge to break even, particularly when marketing expenses are factored in.

However, there is potential for Snow White to follow in the footsteps of Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel to Disney's The Lion King remake. Mufasa opened to a modest $35.4 million domestically but ultimately grossed over $717 million worldwide. Disney is likely hoping for a similar 'sleeper hit' success story with Snow White, amidst ongoing scrutiny over the performance of Captain America: Brave New World, which has accumulated $400.8 million globally after six weekends, with $192.1 million from the domestic market and $208.7 million from international markets.

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