Disney’s live-action Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, was once poised to be a jewel in the studio’s crown of reimagined classics. Instead, it has become a cautionary tale of overambition, cultural missteps, and unrelenting backlash. Released on March 21, 2025, the $270 million musical fantasy opened to a lackluster $42.2 million domestically, a far cry from the blockbuster numbers Disney expected. By May 2025, the film had grossed just $202.8 million worldwide, nowhere near the $625 million needed to break even, leaving Disney with an estimated $115 million loss. In a surprising move, the studio re-released the film in over 1,200 theaters across the U.S. during Mother’s Day weekend, May 9-11, 2025, in a desperate bid to revive its fortunes. But with the re-release earning a pitiful $335,000, fans and analysts alike are left wondering: does Disney truly believe it can salvage Snow White, or is this a final, futile attempt to recoup its losses?

The troubles with Snow White began long before its theatrical debut. Rachel Zegler, the 23-year-old breakout star of West Side Story, was cast as the titular princess in June 2021, a decision that immediately sparked controversy. Some fans criticized the casting of a Latina actress in a role traditionally depicted as pale-skinned, with the character’s name rooted in the description of her “skin as white as snow” from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Zegler, who is of Colombian and Polish descent, defended her casting, noting the character’s popularity in Spanish-speaking countries and expressing pride in representing her heritage. However, her comments in 2022 about the 1937 animated original added fuel to the fire. She called the classic “dated” and “weird,” particularly its focus on a romantic plot involving a prince she described as a “stalker.” Zegler’s vision for a more independent Snow White, one who dreams of leadership rather than love, clashed with fans who cherished the original’s nostalgic charm, leading to accusations that she disrespected Disney’s legacy.

The controversies didn’t end there. The film’s depiction of the seven dwarfs became a lightning rod when Disney opted for CGI characters instead of casting actors with dwarfism, a choice influenced by criticism from Peter Dinklage, who called the original story “backwards.” While Disney consulted with the dwarfism community to avoid stereotypes, the final product—featuring only one actor with dwarfism among the group—drew accusations of insensitivity and artificiality. Critics later described the CGI dwarfs as “uncanny” and “lifeless,” a sentiment echoed in the film’s 40% Rotten Tomatoes score. Political tensions further complicated matters. Zegler’s pro-Palestine statements, including a viral X post in August 2024 that read “and always remember, free Palestine,” clashed with co-star Gal Gadot’s public support for Israel. This led to boycotts by Palestinian-led movements like BDS and a ban in Lebanon, polarizing audiences and turning the film into a cultural battleground.

When Snow White finally hit theaters, the backlash translated into devastating box office numbers. Its $42.2 million domestic opening was dwarfed by other Disney live-action remakes like Beauty and the Beast ($174.6 million) or even The Little Mermaid ($117.6 million). The film plummeted 66% in its second weekend, earning just $14.3 million, and by its fourth weekend, it had grossed $81.2 million domestically and $181 million globally. Audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore, a rare low for a Disney princess film, while review bombing on IMDb resulted in a 1.6/10 rating, with over 91% of votes being 1-star reviews. Critics were mixed, praising Zegler’s “luminous” performance but slamming Gadot’s “flat” portrayal of the Evil Queen and the film’s “dopey stylistic choices.” The Hollywood Reporter noted that Disney’s previous remakes typically earned A-range CinemaScores, making Snow White’s reception a stark outlier.

By early May 2025, the film’s theatrical run seemed to be winding down, playing in just 310 theaters with a domestic total of $86.4 million. Then, in a surprising move, Disney announced a nationwide re-release in over 1,200 theaters for Mother’s Day weekend, a time traditionally associated with family outings to the cinema. The strategy appeared to be a calculated effort to attract mothers and daughters who might have missed the initial run, banking on the holiday’s sentimental appeal to boost ticket sales. The re-release also coincided with the film’s digital release announcement for May 13, suggesting Disney hoped to maximize revenue across multiple platforms before fully shifting focus to streaming and home entertainment.

However, the Mother’s Day re-release proved to be a resounding failure. The film earned just $335,000 over the weekend, averaging a mere $252 per screen. Social media posts captured the dismal turnout, with some theaters reporting zero tickets sold for certain showtimes. One X user remarked, “Disney really thought Mother’s Day would save Snow White? Audiences aren’t showing up for Rachel Zegler’s version, period.” Another pointed out that families opted for alternatives like A Minecraft Movie, which had already grossed over $163 million domestically by that point. The re-release’s poor performance underscored the public’s lack of interest, raising questions about Disney’s decision to try again. Was this a genuine belief that the film could find a new audience, or simply a last-ditch effort to mitigate losses before moving on?

Financially, the numbers are grim. With a production budget of $270 million, plus $111 million in global prints and advertising and $29 million in residuals, Snow White’s total expenses reached $410 million. Against a global box office of $225 million, the film generated just $295 million in total revenue, including $101 million in film rentals, $62 million in home entertainment, and $130 million from streaming and TV. This left Disney with a $115 million loss, a significant blow for a studio that saw successes like Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024. The failure of Snow White, coupled with the underperformance of Captain America: Brave New World earlier in 2025, has cast a shadow over Disney’s 2025 slate, prompting a broader reevaluation of its live-action remake strategy.

For Zegler, the Snow White debacle has been a professional setback, though not entirely her fault. Critics consistently highlighted her as a “bright spot” in the film, praising her vocal performance and her ability to bring a modern edge to the classic character. However, her association with the controversies has made her a scapegoat for the film’s failure, with some, including producer Marc Platt’s son Jonah, accusing her of “dragging her personal politics” into the promotional campaign. Zegler’s comments on Palestine and her criticism of Donald Trump after the 2024 election alienated conservative audiences, while her remarks about the original film fueled accusations of disrespect. Yet, many argue that the film’s troubles stem from deeper issues—audience fatigue with live-action remakes, Disney’s mishandling of cultural sensitivities, and a lack of modern appeal in the story’s darker, classical themes.

Disney’s decision to re-release Snow White reflects a broader trend in Hollywood, where studios are increasingly turning to re-releases to boost struggling films. The success of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith’s 20th-anniversary re-release, which earned $25 million in May 2025, may have inspired Disney’s strategy. However, Snow White lacked the nostalgic pull and fanbase of a Star Wars film, making the re-release a risky gamble that ultimately failed. Some industry analysts suggest that Disney’s move was less about reviving the film and more about signaling to investors that the studio was exhausting all options to recoup its investment. “If the film is about to be available digitally, why put it back in cinemas?” one critic questioned, pointing to the re-release’s timing just days before the digital drop.

The fallout from Snow White has already had ripple effects. Disney has paused production on its planned Tangled remake, indicating a shift in its approach to live-action remakes. Upcoming projects like Lilo & Stitch (set for May 23, 2025) and Moana (July 10, 2026) are now under intense scrutiny, as the studio seeks to avoid another flop. For Zegler, the path forward involves a return to her musical roots, with a role as Eva Perón in the West End’s Evita in July 2025 and a new comedy-drama, She Gets It From Me, alongside Marisa Tomei. While Snow White may have tarnished her blockbuster prospects for now, her talent and resilience suggest she’ll weather the storm.

Disney’s attempt to give Snow White one more chance on Mother’s Day weekend has proven to be a miscalculation, highlighting the film’s inability to connect with audiences. Whether this was a genuine effort to salvage a sinking ship or a symbolic gesture to appease stakeholders, the result is clear: Snow White’s fairy tale has no happy ending at the box office. As Disney moves forward, the lessons from this flop may reshape its approach to remakes, while Zegler looks to new projects to reclaim her narrative. For now, Snow White remains a stark reminder that even the most magical of stories can falter in the face of modern challenges.