Movie fans get ready because Disney's live-action Snow White is finally heading to theaters in 2025. But this movie's journey to the big screen has been anything but a fairy tale. Buckle up because we are diving into the wild ride that this remake has been from years of delays to casting controversies and box office expectations. Is this movie destined for happily ever after or a poisoned apple?
From 2016 to 2025: Why Did It Take Almost a Decade to Bring Snow White to the Big Screen?
Ten years! That's how long it has taken for this Snow White remake to go from idea to reality. Back in 2016 whispers started about Disney wanting to revisit the classic. They got a writer on board Erin Cressida Wilson known for The Girl on the Train and promised fresh songs for a modern audience. La La Land and Wicked songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul signed up for music duties. Things seemed to be moving but one key piece was missing: a director.
It took three whole years before they even hinted at who might direct. Finally in 2019 Marc Webb the director behind Spider-Man movies was in talks and eventually signed on. Production was planned filming dates were set. Then BAM the world changed.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 shutting down movie sets everywhere. Snow White was caught in the chaos. Filming got delayed for almost two years locations changed from Vancouver and Los Angeles to London. But even when cameras finally started rolling the movie was not out of the woods yet.
Strikes Setbacks and Scandals: The Bumpy Road to Releasing Snow White in 2025
Just when things seemed to be back on track another Hollywood storm hit: the 2023 SAG/AFTRA strike. Everything stopped again. Disney decided to push the release date way back from March 2024 to March 2025. The strike lasted for months adding even more time to the already lengthy production. It has been a long and winding road for this movie for sure.
But delays are only part of the story. Snow White has also faced a ton of controversy pretty much from the start. It began with set photos that appeared to show stand-ins for the seven dwarfs who were not actors with dwarfism. This sparked immediate backlash. Some people were upset about representation others worried about taking roles away from little people actors.
Then Peter Dinklage a well-known actor with dwarfism spoke out criticizing Disney's portrayal of the dwarfs. Disney responded by saying they would use CGI for the characters instead of casting actors with dwarfism. But this move also created controversy with some feeling that cgi dwarfs were not the answer either.
Can Snow White Overcome the Noise? Box Office Predictions and a $340 Million Hurdle
All this drama and controversy before the movie even comes out? Not exactly a recipe for box office success right? Well Snow White has a massive budget reportedly over $200 million. Some experts estimate it needs to make around $340 million just to break even. That is a lot of poisoned apples to sell.
Early box office projections are not super encouraging. Some predict an opening weekend in North America around $48 million to $58 million. That is less than initially hoped for and lower than other big Disney live-action remakes. To put it in perspective Aladdin opened to over $90 million. The Lion King even higher.
Will Snow White defy expectations and become a box office hit despite all the challenges? Or will the controversies and long production saga take their toll? We will find out when it finally arrives in theaters in March 2025. It's definitely a movie to watch for more reasons than one!
Gal Gadot Goes Full Villain: A Career First as the Evil Queen
Amidst all the production drama there is one thing many people are genuinely excited about: Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Believe it or not this is actually Gadot's first time playing a real villain in her 20+ year career. Think about it Wonder Woman Gisele Yashar in Fast & Furious even smaller roles she is usually the hero.
Gadot herself is thrilled to be playing the baddie. She called the role "delicious and delightful" saying she gets to be much more theatrical and over-the-top than usual. She even joked that her daughter was not surprised she was playing a villain saying "Oh how appropriate". Sounds like Gadot is having fun embracing her dark side.
Early looks at Gadot as the Evil Queen are promising. She definitely looks the part in the iconic black dress and red lipstick. Whether she can nail the musical performance and truly embody the iconic Disney villain remains to be seen but it is definitely a different and exciting role for her.
Rachel Zegler's Snow White: Talent Scandals and Stepping into a Princess Role
Playing Snow White is no small task and Rachel Zegler is taking on the lead role. Zegler is known for her breakout performance in West Side Story and also appeared in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. She is definitely a rising star. However Zegler's casting has also been part of the Snow White story's controversies.
Some online critics questioned casting a Latina actress as Snow White. Zegler who is of Colombian and Polish descent addressed this backlash saying Snow White was her mom's favorite princess and that growing up there weren't many dark-haired princesses she could relate to. She has handled the criticism with grace.
Beyond casting Zegler also faced some online backlash for comments she made about the original Snow White being "dated" and not focusing on the love story in the remake. Some Disney fans felt she was being ungrateful for the role. Despite all the noise Zegler seems determined to make her mark as Snow White and bring a modern take to the classic princess.
Disney's Live-Action Reimagining Box Office Top 5: Can Snow White Break into the List?
Disney's live-action remakes have had a mixed box office history. Some have been massive hits others less so. Here are the top 5 opening weekends for Disney's live-action reimaginings in North America to see where Snow White hopes to land:
- The Lion King - $191.77 million
- Beauty and the Beast - $174.75 million
- Alice in Wonderland - $116.10 million
- The Jungle Book - $103.26 million
- Aladdin - $91.50 million
Snow White needs to outperform current projections to crack this top 5 and especially needs to beat Aladdin's $91.5 million opening to get into that coveted list. It is a steep climb but in Hollywood you never know what might happen!