Disney’s live-action Snow White has reportedly flopped – with the woke rebrand costing the company a staggering $170 million loss.
The fairy-tale epic, led by ‘progressive’ Rachel Zegler, came with a jaw-dropping $336.5 million production price tag.
But the film brought in just $87.3 million during its May 2025 opening weekend and went on to earn a total of $205.7 million, per Forbes.
This live action princess movie now ranks as the fifth-lowest grossing among the 21 live-action remakes produced by The Walt Disney Company, per the outlet.
Alongside its financial flop, the classic faced backlash over changes made to make it more ‘progressive.’
As filming took off in 2022, Zegler labeled Prince Charming a ‘stalker’ and described the animated classic as ‘extremely dated’ in its portrayal of women in positions of power.
Prominent critics weren’t impressed either, with Peter Dinklage blasting the Mickey Mouse corporation for creating a ‘f***ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together.’
David Hand, son of the original Snow White director who helped Walt Disney earn an honorary Oscar, even said at the time that the pair ‘would be turning in their grave.’
The $336.5 million remake of the 1937 classic was beset by multiple controversies including Rachel Zegler panning the original film for its ‘sexist’ traditional romance plot
Zegler in Snow White, the trailer received tons of backlash after it debuted computer-generated dwarfs
Tensions escalated when the film’s ‘creepy’ computer-generated dwarfs appeared in the first trailer, making it one of the most disliked videos on YouTube.
The controversy nearly boiled over when Zegler took to social media to criticize Israel and the Trump administration.
As Zegler thanked her fans for watching the trailer, she added ‘always remember, free Palestine.’
Following that, she openly called out the Trump and MAGA supporters during the 2024 election, posting on social media: ‘May Trump supporters, Trump voters, and Trump himself never know peace. F*** Donald Trump.’
The only Disney live-action remake to earn less than Snow White under normal conditions was 1994’s Jungle Book.
Other low earners include Mulan, 102 Dalmatians, and Christopher Robin. These films were either impacted by the pandemic or, after inflation adjustments, actually outgrossed it.
The outlet uncovered these details because the movie was filmed in the United Kingdom, where local laws favor film companies and offer reimbursements for production costs.
To take advantage of this, Disney set up a separate entity called Hidden Heart Productions.
This Disney film was one of the lowest profiting live-action remakes
Rachel Zegler attends a premiere for the film back in 2025, criticism intensified as she posted anti-Trump and anti-Israel remarks on social media
Under UK rules, the company had to disclose its expenditures – normally a closely guarded secret in the US – revealing the massive costs behind the film.
Though Snow White was able to receive a reimbursement of $64.9 million which brought expenses down to $271.6 million, it wasn’t as successful at the box office.
Forbes’ research showed that with the usual 50-50 split between theaters and studios, Disney received just $102.9 million from Snow White, resulting in a $168.7 million box office loss after spending $271.6 million on the film.
