Disney's Snow White Remake Struggles to Break Even After Slow Box Office Start

Snow White, directed by Marc Webb of The Amazing Spider-Man fame, has faced a challenging start at the box office, marking one of the lowest domestic opening weekends for a Disney remake to date. According to Comscore, the film grossed $43 million domestically, securing the second-highest opening of 2025, surpassed only by the MCU's Captain America: Brave New World. Despite topping this week's chart, Snow White fell short of the $45 million domestic launch of 2019's live-action Dumbo and did not meet pre-release estimates.

For perspective, other Disney remakes like 2019’s The Lion King, 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, 2016’s The Jungle Book, and 2023’s The Little Mermaid all achieved over $100 million in domestic openings. Internationally, Snow White also experienced a modest start, earning $44.3 million over its opening weekend, resulting in a global total of $87.3 million, per Comscore estimates.

Snow White, a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1937 animated classic, stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. With a reported production budget exceeding $250 million, the film's initial box office figures suggest an uphill struggle to break even, especially factoring in marketing expenses.

However, there is a glimmer of hope for Snow White. Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel to the Lion King remake, also opened to a modest $35.4 million domestically but went on to earn over $717 million worldwide. Disney is likely hoping Snow White can follow a similar 'sleeper hit' path, amidst ongoing discussions about the performance of Captain America: Brave New World, which has grossed $400.8 million globally after six weekends ($192.1 million domestic and $208.7 million international).

IGN's review of Snow White awarded it a 7/10, stating, "Snow White is a live-action Disney remake that meaningfully adapts its original, rather than creating a lesser mimicry."