Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Flop Cost Studio a Jaw-Dropping Fortune Report Reveals

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Disney’s new live-action Snow White movie cost a surprising $336.5 million to make, according to financial reports from the film’s UK production company, Hidden Heart Productions. Industry experts at Forbes have analyzed the numbers, which show the movie went far over budget and is now considered one of Disney’s biggest financial disappointments in recent years.

As a film fan, I was really intrigued by the new Snow White movie starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. But even before it came out, it was surrounded by a lot of discussion. Zegler herself spoke out about the original 1937 film, pointing out how Prince Charming’s behavior could be seen as stalking and how the story, overall, feels pretty old-fashioned when it comes to strong female characters.

Her comments sparked outrage from both critics and those with long careers in the film industry, including David Hand, son of someone who worked on the original. He stated the filmmakers would be horrified by the new version, but acknowledged it was created with good intentions.

The first trailer for the movie sparked strong criticism, particularly because of the digitally created dwarfs, which many viewers found unsettling compared to the beloved characters from the original cartoon. The trailer received over a million dislikes on YouTube, making it one of the platform’s most disliked videos. Actress Rachel Zegler also faced controversy when she publicly expressed support for Palestine, a statement that a producer allegedly asked her to take down. She declined to remove the post, and it remains visible on her social media.

The film’s box office results showed the impact of the controversy surrounding it. While Snow White earned $87.3 million worldwide during its opening weekend, this was 13% less than expected. The film ultimately grossed $205.7 million, making it one of Disney’s lowest-performing live-action remakes in the last three decades. Only a few films – including Mulan, 102 Dalmatians, Christopher Robin, and the 1994 Jungle Book – earned less, and those were often impacted by factors like inflation or events such as the pandemic.

While the UK government provided a $64.9 million tax credit, reducing Disney’s overall spending on the film to $271.6 million, it still likely lost over $168 million in theaters. This is calculated assuming a typical 50/50 split of ticket sales between cinemas and the studio. Disney suggests income from sources like DVD sales and merchandise could help recover costs, but when you factor in marketing expenses – which aren’t detailed in the reports – turning a profit seems improbable.

In 2023, industry analyst Valliant Renegade accurately predicted the movie’s final cost of around $300 million. The production faced difficulties, like a fire at Pinewood Studios and the need for significant reshoots, which led to the high expenses.

Okay, so Disney had a bit of a stumble with Snow White, but they’re not giving up on live-action remakes just yet. In fact, their next one, Lilo & Stitch, is a huge win! It’s already made over a billion dollars worldwide, more than making up for Snow White’s performance and proving there’s still a big audience for these reimagined classics. It’s good news for Disney and suggests this strategy can still be incredibly successful.

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2026-02-11 15:18