Potential flop incoming? ‘Snow White’ opened to a weaker than expected $43 million at the U.S box office.

The film, a modern reimagining of the 1937 classic, had been projected to surpass $100 million worldwide during its opening weekend but fell short, collecting $87.3 million globally, with final numbers expected later today (Monday).

The financial outlook for ‘Snow White’ appears challenging, especially considering its substantial $270 million production cost and an additional estimated $100 million spent on marketing. Early ticket sales and mixed reactions suggest the film might struggle to reach global revenues of $300 million to $400 million, significantly below the $500 million threshold considered safe by industry standards. For context, ‘Dumbo’ in 2019, opened with $45 million in the U.S. and capped at $353 million worldwide against a $170 million budget.

Disney enthusiasts might recall successful turnarounds such as the 2024 Christmas release ‘Mufasa: The Lion King,’ which ultimately grossed nearly $718 million globally after a modest $35.4 million domestic debut.

However, ‘Snow White’ faces additional hurdles not encountered by these films, including poor critic reviews alongside a lukewarm audience reception.

Despite the film's challenges with certain groups rallying against Rachel Zegler’s anti-Trump comments, while opposite groups vow to never watch the film due to Gal Gadot’s support of Israel amid the Palestinian conflict, certain audience segments, particularly women and young viewers under 18, have rated ‘Snow White’ in high regard. Family audiences also responded positively, with parents and children rating the movie four out of five stars in surveys conducted by PostTrack, although only half of the kids surveyed said they would immediately recommend the film to friends.

‘Snow White’ faced several production hurdles, including strict COVID-19 protocols, labor strikes in 2023, and a set fire, which pushed its budget from an initial estimate of $200 million to $210 million to over $270 million. The film also underwent creative adjustments requested by David Greenbaum, the new head of Disney's live-action studio, as part of a strategic shift after the transition in leadership.

This remake is part of Disney's broader strategy of reinterpreting classic animated films into live-action formats, a venture that has seen varying degrees of success.

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