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, faced a challenging start at the box office, securing a domestic debut of $43 million. This figure, while topping the week's chart and ranking as the second highest of 2025 behind Captain America: Brave New World, falls short of the opening weekend earnings of other Disney live-action remakes. For comparison, Dumbo (2019) opened with $45 million, while The Lion King (2019), Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Jungle Book (2016), and The Little Mermaid (2023) all surpassed $100 million in their domestic debuts.

Internationally, Snow White's performance was similarly subdued, earning $44.3 million over the opening weekend, bringing the global total to $87.3 million according to Comscore estimates. This live-action adaptation of Disney's 1937 animated classic features Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. With a reported production budget exceeding $250 million, the film now faces a steep challenge to break even, factoring in marketing expenses.

Despite the initial setback, there is a glimmer of hope for Snow White. Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel to the 2019 Lion King remake, started with a modest $35.4 million domestically but ultimately grossed over $717 million worldwide. Disney is likely banking on a similar 'sleeper hit' success for Snow White, especially as questions persist about the performance of Captain America: Brave New World, which has earned $400.8 million globally after six weekends.

IGN's review of Snow White awarded it a 7/10, praising it for meaningfully adapting the original story rather than merely replicating it.