Rachel Zegler’s Snow White Bombed So Hard, Fans Only Watched It for Free

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Snow White Bombs at the Box Office

Disney’s reimagined version of “Snow White,” featuring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, underperformed at the box office, earning just over $205 million worldwide. This is significantly less than the estimated production budget of more than $270 million, a fact acknowledged by Disney in their latest financial report to shareholders, indicating that the movie was not successful.

Initially, the movie faced difficulties becoming popular, even with a large promotional campaign behind it. In the end, its box office earnings placed it as one of Disney’s least successful live-action remakes.

Fans Watched It — Only When It Was Free

It appears we’re starting to understand the events better. Based on statistics from Samba TV, which is a service Disney has invested in, “Snow White” experienced a significant increase of approximately 405% in viewership during its first five days on Disney+, following its release on June 11th, compared to when it was initially available through PVOD.

In simpler terms, people seemed eager to watch it, mainly because they could do so for free as part of their Disney+ subscription. They didn’t show much interest in purchasing it on demand or catching it in cinemas.

Curious — But Not Curious Enough to Pay

The eagerness of fans to stream the movie on Disney+ speaks volumes about their interest. They might have known about the film and even felt curious, but they weren’t sufficiently enticed to spend money on it. Whether it was the trailers, early critic reviews, or a growing tiredness towards Disney remakes, Snow White didn’t seem to deliver anything that warranted its ticket price.

The Rachel Zegler Problem

The situation wasn’t improved by Rachel Zegler’s actions that seemed to alienate a significant portion of the fanbase. She publicly criticized the original Snow White, made fun of the classic love story, and inserted her political views into press conferences, which led to strong criticism online.

It’s said that things escalated to such an extent that a Disney producer felt compelled to intervene and ask her to tone it down. The producer’s son, however, attributed the film’s underperformance to Zegler.

Was There Genuine Interest After All?

It appears that while some fans may have had genuine curiosity, they didn’t have enough faith in the quality of the product or the leading actress to spend money on it. In other words, the film Snow White was not considered valuable enough by the audience to warrant payment for viewing it.

Disney should remember that their viewers are valuable, they shouldn’t underestimate them. In a few weeks, it will be intriguing to find out what Nielsen streaming data reveals about this trend and if it becomes common for expensive movies that fail critically.

Disney’s Strategy Clearly Backfired

Disney anticipated that “Snow White” would be a huge success, but despite investing substantial funds, promotional efforts, and celebrity endorsements, it failed to captivate audiences. The surge in streaming viewership cannot salvage the film’s standing; instead, it underscores just how many viewers chose not to watch it for a fee.

What’s Next for Disney’s Remake Machine?

This isn’t a rare occurrence. Peter Pan and Wendy, The Little Mermaid, and now Snow White have each faced difficulties. Eventually, Disney may need to revise their approach to remakes to avoid further upsetting their devoted audience.

After the flop of “Snow White”, Disney has temporarily halted their animated live-action adaptations. Reports suggest that “Tangled” is currently on hold, and it’s uncertain about the fate of “Hercules”.

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2025-06-20 02:01