Well movie fans it looks like Disney's latest live-action adventure Snow White is having a bit of a rough start. The movie just hit theaters and the box office numbers are well below expectations. Is it a curse from the Evil Queen? Maybe not but let's take a look at what's going on with this reimagining of a classic tale.
Snow White's Box Office Numbers Are In And It's Not Exactly a "Happily Ever After" Start for Disney
So the early numbers are here and honestly they are not great. Snow White only managed to bring in $87 million globally in its opening weekend. Domestically in the US and Canada it pulled in just $43 million. Now in the grand scheme of things millions of dollars sounds like a lot right? But for a big budget Disney movie especially a live-action remake these numbers are considered pretty low. Some are even calling it a box office "bomb".
To put it in perspective let's compare it to other recent Disney live-action remakes. movies like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast opened HUGE making hundreds of millions in their opening weekends. Snow White is not even close. In fact it is close to being one of the lowest performing Disney remakes ever. Ouch.
Critics and Audiences Are Not Exactly Whistling While They Work Over This Snow White Remake
It's not just the box office numbers that are a bit gloomy. Critics were not super impressed either. Snow White currently has a 44% score on Rotten Tomatoes which means most reviews are not positive. Audiences are a bit kinder giving it a 74% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. That's better but still not amazing especially compared to other Disney movies.
Reviews point to a few issues. Some say Rachel Zegler who plays Snow White is a bright spot with good singing. However villain Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen is getting some criticism. People are also mentioning problems with the story the script the directing and especially those CGI dwarves. Apparently they are not exactly charming and maybe even a little creepy.
Controversy Curse? Did Online Backlash and "Snow Woke" Talk Hurt Disney's Princess Movie?
You can't talk about this Snow White movie without mentioning the online chatter and controversy . Even before the movie came out there was a lot of discussion and some negativity online. Some people online even started calling it "Snow Woke".
Some of the controversy came from comments made by star Rachel Zegler. In past interviews she called the original 1937 Snow White "extremely dated" and said the prince was basically a stalker. These comments rubbed some fans the wrong way. There was also discussion about casting a Latina actress as Snow White and changes to the dwarves.
It's hard to say exactly how much this online noise affected the box office. Some reports suggest that the movie did perform slightly better in more "liberal" areas compared to "conservative" areas in the US. However other reports say it played evenly across different regions. It is complicated but it is clear there was a lot of pre-release discussion some of it not very positive.
Lessons for Disney? What Snow White's Stumble Could Mean for Future Live-Action Remakes
So what does all this mean for Disney and their live-action remakes? Some are wondering if Snow White's struggles are a sign that audiences are getting tired of these remakes especially if they don't feel fresh or original.
One article suggests Disney needs to take a lesson from Snow White. Maybe they should be bolder with these remakes. Instead of just copying the animated movies scene-for-scene maybe they should try to really reimagine them. Think darker stories more creative visuals and maybe even some real surprises. Just relying on nostalgia might not be enough anymore.
The article also points out that sometimes these remakes waste the talent involved. Gifted composers are just rehashing old songs visual effects artists are making CGI versions of cartoons and actors can get caught in online drama just for taking a role. Maybe it's time for Disney to try something new with these classic stories.
Five Controversies & Factors Surrounding Snow White's Box Office Performance:
- Rachel Zegler's Comments: Star's remarks about the original film being "dated" and prince being a "stalker" sparked online backlash.
- "Snow Woke" Label: Movie became target of online controversy and political commentary regarding diversity and reimagining classic stories.
- CGI Dwarves: Visual design of the dwarves criticized as "horrifying" "waxy" and "dead-eyed".
- Dated Story Concerns: Adapting a 1937 film may not resonate with modern audiences without significant changes and updates.
- Generic Remake Fatigue: Audiences may be tiring of live-action remakes that are too similar to the originals lacking true innovation.
Will a Prince's Kiss Save Snow White at the Box Office? Probably Not But...
So is Snow White doomed? It is too early to say for sure. Some think maybe parents and young kids might still check it out especially during spring break. Word-of-mouth could also play a factor. But right now it's definitely facing an uphill battle. It looks like this fairytale might not have a happy box office ending after all. What do you think? Will you be seeing Snow White?