Disney’s latest live-action remake of Snow White is facing a serious backlash following scathing reviews from critics and a series of controversies surrounding its production. Directed by Marc Webb, the highly anticipated musical fantasy has already cost the studio an eye-watering $270 million, but reports suggest Disney is now in crisis mode as it tries to salvage the film’s box office prospects.
Released in UK cinemas on Friday, the film has not had the smoothest of starts. The publicity campaign, which had already sparked outrage, hit another roadblock when the British premiere was cancelled. The film’s casting, specifically the choice of Colombian-American actress Rachel Zegler as the titular heroine, has stirred a culture war, with critics raising concerns about the racial implications of casting a non-white actress in the role of the “white as snow” princess. These sensitive issues, coupled with questions about the portrayal of dwarves, consent, and misogyny in the beloved fairy tale, are thought to be the primary reasons behind the cancellation of the premiere.
What has truly set this version of Snow White apart from previous adaptations, such as the 2012 Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart or Mirror Mirror with Julia Roberts, however, is the reception from critics. Reviews have been overwhelmingly negative, with The Guardian giving it just one star, Empire awarding two stars, The Times giving it a similarly low score, and the Mail being equally harsh. The film has struggled to capture the magic of Disney’s other recent live-action remakes, such as Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, which were much more warmly received.
In an attempt to salvage the situation, Disney has been working hard to shift the focus away from the negative reviews and towards social media reactions. The studio employed a strategy of limiting the kinds of questions asked at the Hollywood premiere, tightly controlling the narrative by selecting only certain people to attend the event. By doing so, Disney hoped to avoid any further public relations disasters.
Instead of allowing traditional reviews to dominate the conversation, Disney quickly pivoted to social media, encouraging reactions from influencers and fans. The tactic appears to have had some success, as outlets like Variety ran articles calling the film a “visual feast” and hailing it as one of Disney’s best remakes in years. However, many industry observers remain sceptical, with some suggesting that this strategy may not be enough to turn the tide, especially with so many poor reviews already flooding in.
In addition to its attempt to influence social media, Disney has also restricted the release of formal reviews, imposing an embargo until the last possible moment in a bid to generate ticket sales before the negative word-of-mouth spreads too far. Early indications suggest that the tactic might not be as effective as Disney had hoped. A quick survey of UK cinemas reveals that early screenings are struggling to attract audiences, with several key venues showing limited bookings for the film.
Despite these challenges, Disney is determined to maximise whatever positive publicity it can glean. For example, they’ve highlighted a review from Variety that praised Zegler as a “shining supernova” and another from Christopher Rates IT, which claimed that the film “recaptures the magic of the 1937 movie.” Such reviews, however, appear to be in the minority, and the larger question remains whether these efforts will be enough to overcome the film’s deeply polarising reception.
The film’s stars, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, could provide some much-needed support to the film’s prospects. Zegler, who first gained fame on YouTube, boasts a dedicated following of young fans and has been actively promoting the film to her 2.4 million Instagram followers. Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, is an even bigger star with over 108 million followers on the platform. Her enthusiastic promotion of the film, including a video in which she describes her experience portraying the villain, has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of her followers.
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The film’s success is critical for Disney, especially given that Snow White is expected to be one of the biggest family blockbusters of early 2025. Despite its troubled launch, cinemas are still keen to push the film, with screenings already planned across the UK. In the US, Disney is targeting a box office haul of between $45 million and $55 million from 4,200 cinemas, though this would still be far behind the impressive debuts of Beauty and the Beast ($174 million), The Jungle Book ($103 million), and The Little Mermaid ($95 million).
Even if Snow White struggles at the box office, it might still attract audiences due to a lack of competition. The release schedule has been relatively barren since the launch of Bridget Jones around Valentine’s Day, leaving cinemas eager to fill seats. This could lead to some level of success, even if the film’s reception remains underwhelming.
For now, Disney’s efforts to salvage Snow White seem to be an all-hands-on-deck response, aimed at mitigating the damage caused by a combination of poor reviews, controversy, and a faltering publicity campaign. Whether these efforts will be enough to save the film financially, or if Snow White will be consigned to the list of Disney remakes that failed to live up to expectations, remains to be seen.
