Disney’s live-action ‘Snow White’ remake, starring Rachel Zegler, topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $43 million debut, despite months of online controversy and critical skepticism.
The film, a modern retelling of the 1937 animated classic, has faced heavy scrutiny—particularly surrounding casting choices, CGI use for the Seven Dwarfs, and Zegler’s off-screen remarks. But for all the online noise, Snow White still managed to attract enough moviegoers to claim the top spot at the box office.
However, with a reported production budget of $250 million, the road to profitability remains uncertain. The New York Times even called the film “one of the most troubled projects in Disney’s 102-year history.”
Critical reception has been sharply divided. The Guardian described the film as “toe-curlingly terrible,” while The Washington Post called it “surprisingly entertaining.” Audience reactions, on the other hand, have generally leaned positive.
LionhearTV shared on our review, “The negativity surrounding her casting often feels misplaced, as she proves herself to be a talented and worthy Snow White.” The viewer praised Rachel Zegler’s performance, saying, “Her singing abilities shine throughout the film, delivering powerful and emotional musical numbers that stay true to the Disney tradition.”
The film also stars Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. While her singing drew mixed reactions, her screen presence was noted as “ethereal.” Andrew Burnap’s new character, Jonathan, was another standout. “You just can’t take your eyes off him,” one of our writers shared.
While the opening numbers are underwhelming compared to its budget, box office analysts urge patience. “We can’t write off the film’s performance until we see how it holds up in the coming weeks,” said Daniel Loria of the Boxoffice Company.
‘Snow White’ faces strong competition from other major titles currently in theaters:
- ‘Black Bag’, a spy thriller starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, held second place with $4.4 million.
- ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ came in third with $4.1 million.
- ‘Mickey 17’, the sci-fi flick by Bong Joon-ho, landed at fourth with $3.9 million.
- Last week’s leader, ‘Novocaine’, dropped to fifth with $3.8 million.
‘Snow White’ may not be a game-changer, but it seems to have overcome early online vitriol with a modestly successful debut. Whether it can sustain momentum in the coming weeks remains to be seen.
As one our writers summed it up: “Watch without prejudice. If you’re a Disney fan, you’ll find joy in it. But if you’re expecting something monumental or a tearjerking rendition of ‘Someday My Prince Will Come,’ maybe wait for streaming.”
