Box Office: How ‘Snow White’ Landed in Potential Bomb Territory

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A somber atmosphere prevailed on Disney’s lot this past Sunday as Snow White opened with a domestic take of only $43 million, falling short of expectations. Worldwide, the live-action adaptation of the classic 1937 film was projected to gross over $100 million, but it managed only $87.3 million. The final weekend figures are due later today.

Although such earnings wouldn’t typically signal trouble for a female-oriented film, Snow White has stumbled close to becoming a box office flop due to its high production cost of approximately $270 million, with an additional $100 million spent on marketing expenses.

According to some studio executives and film analysts who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, the new adaptation of Snow White might struggle to gross over $300 million or even $400 million worldwide, falling significantly short of a projected box-office earnings of $500 million or more. This is in comparison to 2019’s release of Dumbo, which earned $353 million globally despite debuting with $45 million domestically and having a production budget of $170 million.

As a devoted Disney fan, I’d confidently assert that when it comes to crafting a storybook conclusion, nobody does it quite like them. Take the case of Mufasa: The Lion King over Christmas 2024. Many critics dismissed it after its initial domestic release earned just $35.4 million. However, this live-action film defied expectations, multiplying its opening earnings by seven times, reaching an astounding global total of nearly $718 million. Similarly, Disney rescued Elemental post-release, with the movie’s revenue growing fivefold before it turned into a streaming phenomenon.

Instead of facing lackluster critic reviews and mediocre box office results, those two movies managed to avoid such outcomes. Remarkably, Snow White is one of the few Disney live-action remakes that garnered a B+ CinemaScore from viewers; typically, these films receive an A grade or its variations.

Apart from Snow White’s struggles, there were headlines concerning Rachel Zegler, the outspoken young actress starring in the movie, who didn’t shy away from confronting Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. Critics on the extreme right have given the film the nickname “Snow Woke,” and swiftly expressed their disapproval by disliking trailers, adverts, and even calling for a boycott of the movie following Zegler’s criticism of the President’s immigration policies. A few days later, she issued an apology for the tone of her original post.

However, statistics indicate that typical cinema-goers might actually be focusing significantly less on the political landscape compared to what social media and news headlines may imply.

Based on a survey by Steve Buck’s research company EnTelligence, approximately two-thirds (66%) of ticket sales for family and animated films typically originate from movie theaters in what are commonly referred to as blue states, while about one-third (33%) come from red states. However, when it comes to Snow White, its ticket sales were significantly higher in red states, accounting for 40%.

As a movie enthusiast, I noticed that the box office trend for broader audiences followed a familiar path. Typically, cinemas in what we often label as ‘blue’ states contribute around 67% of total ticket sales, whereas ‘red’ states account for about 33%. However, when it comes to a classic like Snow White, ‘blue’ states fell slightly below the average with approximately 60%, while ‘red’ states made up the remaining 40%.

Despite initial worries about boycotts in conservative areas before its release, EnTelligence’s founder, Buck, states there’s no proof such events actually took place.

As a die-hard fan, I must admit that despite Snow White receiving a B+ CinemaScore overall, it managed to impress certain demographics. Specifically, it earned an A- CinemaScore from female moviegoers and those under 18. Interestingly, when polled by the market leader PostTrack, parents and kids gave it a solid four out of five stars, while general audiences rated it three out of five. However, just half of the surveyed kids indicated they’d urge their friends to catch the film immediately.

The budget of “Snow White” has been consistently increasing due to stringent Covid safety measures, labor strikes in 2023, a set fire, and creative issues that necessitated extra effort. Initially greenlit at around $200-$210 million, the film also faced challenges such as these. The production was handled by Disney’s live-action studio under a previous regime, but now, under the leadership of David Greenbaum, changes have been suggested since he took the position a year ago.

Since Disney chose to create a live-action version of Snow White, the world has undergone significant transformation. This move appeared to be a safe decision given the triumphs of other Disney live-action princess remakes such as Beauty and the Beast, which made an astounding $174.6 million domestically in March 2017 (unadjusted for inflation). In spring 2015, Cinderella premiered to a domestic total of $67.9 million on a more conservative budget of $90 million; Maleficent debuted with $69 million in May 2014, but its sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, only managed to earn $37 million.

Paul Dergarabedian, chief box office analyst at Comscore, admitted that due to its high production cost, Snow White didn’t have the best opening. However, he pointed out that its financial success will hinge on factors such as its longevity in cinemas, future streaming availability, merchandising sales, music royalties, and theme park collaborations.

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2025-03-24 22:54