Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Bombed Big: Studio Lost Eye-Watering Sum on the Controversial Remake

Disney’s live-action Snow White has become one of the studio’s most talked-about flops, with new filings revealing the film’s enormous costs.

According to the documents, the production ended up costing $336.5 million (£271.1 million), far above what was originally planned. The film starred Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, and was immediately surrounded by controversy.

From the beginning, Zegler criticized the 1937 animated classic that inspired the remake. She called Prince Charming a “stalker” and described the story as “extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power.”

Critics were not impressed. David Hand, whose father worked on the original film, commented that they “would be turning in their graves” if they saw the remake, though he added it was “made with good taste.”

The backlash intensified when the first trailer introduced Snow White’s computer-generated dwarfs. Fans and critics called them creepy and far from the charming characters in the original cartoon. The trailer quickly became one of the most disliked videos on YouTube, with over a million thumbs down.

Tensions rose further when Zegler added “always remember, free palestine” in a social media post thanking fans for watching the trailer. The film’s producer, Marc Platt, reportedly tried to get her to remove the post, but she refused, leaving it online. She also criticized MAGA supporters and former President Trump in later posts, which further fueled controversy around the film.

When Snow White hit theaters, it struggled to attract audiences. It earned $87.3 million worldwide in its opening weekend, below expectations, and ultimately grossed just $205.7 million. This made it the fifth-lowest performing live-action Disney remake, only ahead of Mulan, 102 Dalmatians, Christopher Robin, and the 1994 Jungle Book.

Filming in the United Kingdom helped reveal the true cost. U.K. productions benefit from a government rebate of up to 25.5% through the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit. To qualify, studios must set up a separate Film Production Company (FPC) and file detailed financial statements.

Disney’s FPC for Snow White, Hidden Heart Productions, submitted reports showing the total cost, including pre-production, filming, and post-production. By mid-2022, Disney had already spent $183.3 million, even before filming wrapped.

After the U.K. rebate of $64.9 million (£52.3 million), the net cost came to $271.6 million. With theaters typically keeping about half of box office earnings, Disney likely lost roughly $168.7 million from the movie alone, though merchandise and home video sales may offset some of the loss.

Despite the failure, Disney hasn’t slowed down. Its next remake, Lilo & Stitch, earned $1 billion worldwide, proving that big-budget animated remakes can still succeed.

Snow White shows the risks of taking too many creative and political liberties in beloved stories. It also proves that high costs don’t guarantee box office success. What do you think—was Disney too ambitious with Snow White, or should they have taken more risks? Share your thoughts in the comments.