New ‘Snow White’ Receives Lowest Audience Score for a Disney Live-Action Remake

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The live-action version of Disney’s ‘Snow White’, released recently, is generating quite a buzz. However, this isn’t just another rehash of the timeless story; it has made history, but perhaps not in the way the studio intended. It received a B+ rating from CinemaScore, which gauges audience reactions immediately after viewing. This is an average score for many movies, but for Disney’s live-action remakes, it stands out as their lowest grade yet.

In this upcoming movie, Rachel Zegler steps into the limelight as Snow White, opposite Gal Gadot’s portrayal of the malevolent Queen Evil. Directed by Marc Webb, it’s a musical adaptation of the 1937 classic animated tale, featuring fresh tunes and a modern twist on the narrative. Zegler gained recognition for her breakout role in ‘West Side Story,’ while Gadot has previously taken on prominent characters such as Wonder Woman. Additionally, Andrew Burnap joins the cast as Jonathan, replacing the conventional Prince Charming character.

As a cinephile, I must say that CinemaScore isn’t just a casual survey—it’s a reflection of audience feelings on opening night, and Disney’s live-action remakes tend to receive high marks. Take ‘Beauty and the Beast’ or ‘The Little Mermaid’, for example—both received A grades. Even movies like ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Lion King’, which had their detractors, earned positive feedback from viewers. Granted, a B+ for ‘Snow White’ isn’t disastrous, but it’s a notch below what we’ve grown accustomed to. It’s the kind of score that suggests people didn’t despise it, but they weren’t exactly over the moon about it either.

‘In its premiere, the movie titled ‘SNOW WHITE’ receives a B+ rating from CinemaScore.’

‘This is the first time a Disney live-action reboot has scored so low on CinemaScore.’

‘Check out our critique here:’

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 22, 2025

The movie has created quite a stir – some of the buzz is positive, while other reactions are more mixed. One controversial aspect that generated discussion from the beginning was the choice to use CGI for the seven dwarfs rather than employing actors with dwarfism. Another significant change is that Snow White isn’t just waiting passively for a prince anymore; instead, she’s taking an active role in overthrowing the queen, supported by her crew. I appreciate their efforts to innovate, but not all the alterations seemed to resonate well with the audience. To add fuel to the fire, the production had a massive budget of $250 million, which raised the stakes considerably.

Over the years, Disney has been consistently releasing remakes, and one of these was the 2015 version of ‘Cinderella‘, which received an ‘A’ from viewers due to its enchanting charm and stunning visuals. The 2020 adaptation of ‘Mulan‘ opted for a grittier style, earning an ‘A-‘, even without the musical numbers. The recent release of ‘Snow White‘ follows this trend, but its ‘B+’ rating indicates it didn’t resonate with everyone as expected. While it’s not a complete failure—kids might still find it entertaining and Zegler’s singing has been well-received—it’s not the success Disney usually achieves.

The lowest rating given by CinemaScore to a Disney live-action adaptation doesn’t necessarily mean the end, as movies can recover through positive word of mouth or international box office earnings. However, at this point, it suggests that the recent ‘Snow White’ adaptation didn’t resonate with moviegoers in the same way other adaptations have, leaving them less inclined to hum a happy tune. Time will tell if it finds its stride as more viewers watch it, or if it indicates that Disney may need to reconsider their approach when remaking stories.

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2025-03-22 21:14