Disney’s “Snow White” Live-Action Flops at Box Office: Is “Race” the Real Issue?

Disney has faced yet another embarrassing stumble in its live-action princess saga. Following the lukewarm reception of “The Little Mermaid“ last year, the latest reimagining of “Snow White“ has drawn widespread criticism and is now being labeled an official box office failure but not for the reasons some may assume.

Adapted from Disney’s first-ever full-length animated feature, 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the live-action remake was initially expected to be a nostalgic hit. However, it has instead become a lightning rod for backlash due to its controversial reinterpretation of the story and character dynamics. While the casting of Latina actress Rachel Zegler as Snow White sparked early debate around “political correctness,” critics and audiences alike now point to the film’s incoherent plot and forced modern sensibilities as the real culprits behind its downfall.

A Box Office Disaster Worse Than “The Little Mermaid”

“Snow White” debuted at No. 2 on the box office chart on March 19 but quickly plummeted to fourth place. By its sixth day in theaters, it had drawn only 130,000 admissions in South Korea — less than a third of what “The Little Mermaid” drew in the same time frame, a film that itself was considered a commercial disappointment.

Globally, the performance isn’t faring much better. The film pulled in 43 million USD in North America during its opening weekend and a total of 87 million USD worldwide. With a reported production budget of 240 million USD, industry insiders, including Variety, have declared “Snow White” a “certified box office flop,” unlikely to ever reach its break-even point.

Audience and critic ratings are equally dismal. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a “fresh” score of just 43% (as of March 25), while IMDb users have given it a shockingly low 1.9 out of 10 — the lowest rating ever for a Disney live-action adaptation.

A Story That Destroys the Original Without Logic

Even before its release, the film faced criticism for casting Latina actress Rachel Zegler in the role of Snow White a character traditionally described as having “skin as white as snow.” Critics accused Disney of excessive political correctness.

However, after the film’s release, the backlash shifted more heavily toward the storyline, which many viewed as lacking coherence and logic. Much of the criticism stemmed from narrative changes that appeared to dismantle the original tale in the name of modern sensibilities, leaving many viewers confused and frustrated.

Major points of criticism include:

• A vain queen who seeks to eliminate Snow White not for her beauty, but for her “inner goodness.”
• A romantic subplot with a bandit leader instead of the traditional prince.
• Snow White taking a revolutionary stance to fight authority alongside the common people.

Many viewers found these narrative shifts poorly developed and lacking in emotional or thematic coherence.

International media echoed these sentiments.

• The Times UK remarked, “This once-revered entertainment giant now seems to resent its own legacy.”
• The New York Post lamented that “a timeless classic has been turned into a meaningless, awkward live-action.”
• The Independent went further, accusing the studio of doing “the bare minimum while throwing in some cute CGI animals and hoping no one would notice.”
• The BBC bluntly described the story as “messy and chaotic.”

As Disney continues its trend of remaking animated classics into live-action films, the “Snow White” backlash serves as a cautionary tale. While diversity in casting is here to stay, fans and critics alike are asking for something more fundamental: good storytelling that respects the essence of the original while meaningfully adapting to modern times.