Disney’s Live Action Snow White Becomes One of the Studio’s Most Costly Flops

14 February 2026

©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Evere

For decades Disney has built a reputation for turning beloved animated classics into massive box office successes through live action remakes. Yet the studio’s ambitious attempt to revive Snow White appears to have fallen far short of that legacy. According to industry reports, Disney’s 2025 live action adaptation of the iconic fairy tale ended its theatrical run with losses estimated at around 170 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive misfires in the studio’s modern history.

The film, directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White alongside Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, was meant to reintroduce one of Disney’s most famous characters to a new generation of audiences. The project carried enormous expectations because the original 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was not only a cultural milestone but also the movie that helped establish Disney as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.

However, the modern remake struggled almost from the beginning. Production costs for the film ballooned to approximately 336.5 million dollars. After a reimbursement from the United Kingdom government for filming there, the movie’s net production cost still stood at roughly 271.6 million dollars.

Despite the massive investment, ticket sales failed to deliver the kind of return Disney typically expects from one of its tentpole projects. Analysts estimate that the studio earned only about 102.9 million dollars from theatrical revenue after accounting for the typical split between movie theaters and studios. When compared with the film’s enormous production expenses, the result translated into losses approaching 170 million dollars.

The disappointing financial performance surprised many industry observers because Disney’s previous live action remakes had often been major hits. Films like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King earned more than a billion dollars globally, establishing the remake formula as one of the company’s most reliable strategies. Against that history, the underperformance of Snow White stood out as a rare and costly exception.

Several factors appear to have contributed to the film’s troubled reception. Long before it reached theaters, the project became entangled in controversy. Actor Peter Dinklage publicly criticized the concept of retelling the story of seven dwarfs living together, calling attention to outdated stereotypes in the original fairy tale. Disney initially attempted to address the criticism by replacing the dwarfs with a diverse group of magical characters before later deciding to use computer generated versions of the classic characters instead.

The film also faced backlash related to comments made by its lead actress. Rachel Zegler had publicly criticized elements of the original 1937 movie, describing aspects of the story as outdated and suggesting the remake would move away from the traditional romantic narrative. Those remarks sparked heated debate online and prompted calls from some critics to boycott the film.

Beyond the cultural debates, the movie struggled creatively. Reviews from critics were mixed to negative, with some praising Zegler’s performance while others criticized the overall direction and storytelling. Audience scores and word of mouth failed to generate the momentum needed for a major blockbuster, further limiting the film’s financial prospects.

The box office numbers reflected that lack of enthusiasm. The movie earned just over 200 million dollars worldwide, a figure that would normally be respectable for many productions but proved insufficient given the massive budget behind it. In the context of Disney’s blockbuster ambitions, the total was widely viewed as a major disappointment.

Industry analysts say the failure also highlights a broader challenge facing Hollywood studios. Over the past decade Disney and other major companies have increasingly relied on remakes, sequels and reboots of familiar properties to reduce financial risk. While that strategy has produced some enormous hits, it has also begun to show signs of fatigue among audiences who are eager for fresh ideas rather than repeated versions of classic stories.

Even so, the setback is unlikely to derail Disney’s overall strategy. The company’s business model extends far beyond theatrical releases, encompassing streaming platforms, theme parks, merchandise and television content. A single box office disappointment rarely threatens the studio’s broader ecosystem of entertainment ventures.

Still, the story of Snow White serves as a reminder that even the most powerful studios cannot guarantee success simply by revisiting beloved classics. The fairy tale that once launched Disney’s empire ultimately became one of the company’s most expensive cinematic gambles.

For audiences and industry watchers alike, the film’s troubled journey illustrates the delicate balance between honoring tradition and reinventing it for modern times. Sometimes even a legendary story cannot ensure a happy ending at the box office.