Once upon a box-office disaster, Disney’s highly anticipated live-action remake of Snow White found itself sinking into a cinematic abyss.
With an astonishingly low rating of 1.7 stars out of 10 on IMDb after more than 117,000 reviews, the film has swiftly become one of the lowest-rated major productions ever.
Snow White takes its place among the lowest-rated major productions on IMDb
Highlights
- Disney's high-budget "Snow White" remake became one of IMDb’s lowest-rated films.
- The film faced heavy backlash from fans due to controversial casting choices, significant story changes, and CGI portrayals of the Seven Dwarfs.
- Despite widespread negative feedback and social media rants, critics praised Rachel Zegler’s performance and the film’s visuals.
Image credits: rachelzegler
Image credits: Disney
Released globally on Friday, March 21, Snow White was expected to earn between $45 and $55 million during its opening weekend—already weak given its staggering $270 million production budget. However, initial figures were nowhere near that, with just $3.5 million made during Thursday previews, hinting at a costly disaster for Disney.
The controversial live-action remake is now in infamous company, joining other high-profile box office disasters. Bollywood’s 2021 action drama Radhe narrowly edges out Disney’s princess flop, carrying a marginally better rating of 1.8 stars. Other notable misfires include Epic Movie at 2.4 stars, Adipurush at 2.7 stars, and the infamous spoof Meet the Spartans, holding a rating of 2.8.
Despite its high budget and Disney’s expectations, Snow White turned into a box-office disaster
Image credits: Disney
Image credits: imdb
If the filter lowers to films with at least 50,000 reviews, the Turkish political drama Reis, chronicling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s life, is rated even lower at a near-impossible 1.0. Close behind is Bollywood’s controversial sequel Sadak 2, standing at a dismal 1.2.
Yet, even among such infamous films, Snow White stands apart due to its considerable budget and Disney's high expectations.
The live-action movie stirred controversy from the very beginning
Image credits: Disney
From its very beginning, Snow White seemed destined for trouble. Dubbed mockingly as “Snow Woke” by critics, the film stirred controversy long before its release, largely due to its radical reinterpretation of the beloved 1937 classic.
Rachel Zegler, cast as the titular character, quickly found herself at the center of the storm following her remarks about changing core story elements. Zegler’s attempt at modernizing the classic princess character sparked uproar among traditional fans.
The film’s lead, Rachel Zegler, called the original Snow White from 1937, dated
Image credits: rachelzegler
“The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so,” Zegler said in a controversial 2023 interview. “There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. So we didn’t do that this time.”
Instead, Zegler promised viewers a Snow White who dreams of leadership, not love. “She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be,” she proudly declared. But, viewers and Disney purists disagreed greatly, arguing the remake stripped away authenticity and seemed dismissive toward traditional romantic storylines.
Online users mocked Snow White’s box office flop by sharing empty movie theaters
Image credits: Disney
Social media swiftly exploded with brutal honesty as viewers shared images of nearly empty theaters during opening weekend. “Looks like there is no one else there… so kinda like most theaters when this opens,” wrote one user.
“I’ve never seen a major movie from Disney have this little interest opening weekend. This is hilariously abysmal,” one user said, mocking the empty theaters.
Other critics wrote under Disney’s official posts. One said, "Nice try, but I’m not going to see this movie," while a more dramatic fan lamented, "Walt will not forgive you Disney… you dishonoured the name of the most iconic fantasy of world cinema."
And a third user openly called Disney brave for leaving their comments on promotional posts, seeing it as either bravely optimistic or just naive.
The movie was under fire for using CGI to portray the iconic Seven Dwarfs
Image credits: Disney
The film’s problems weren't restricted to script and storytelling. Its depiction of the iconic Seven Dwarfs through CGI attracted scathing criticism, notably from actor Peter Dinklage, famous for his role in Game of Thrones.
In a 2022 podcast interview with WTF With Mark Maron, Dinklage bluntly expressed disappointment, saying, “I was sort of taken aback… They were very proud to cast a Latino actress as Snow White, but you’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there.”
The lead actresses’ political views were the cherry on top of the movie’s troubled marketing campaign
Image credits: Disney
Casting Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, both vocal about their political views, added fuel to the already raging controversy surrounding the movie.
Gadot, who actively uses her platforms to address geopolitical issues, and Zegler, known for her outspoken comments about the film’s intent and the United States, inadvertently alienated many potential moviegoers.
Viewers criticized the actresses, accusing them of inserting unnecessary politics into a classic fairy tale. Calls for boycotting the film spread rapidly online, severely damaging its reception in the global arena.
In spite of negative comments from fans, critics took a liking to the now-flop movie
Image credits: Disney
Despite significant backlash from online users and fans, official reviews for Disney's controversial live-action Snow White, released on March 16, have been surprisingly positive.
Critics praised Rachel Zegler's performance, with Crooked Media’s Matt DeGroot calling her "an absolute star" and Variety’s Katcy Stephan describing her as “a shining supernova.”
Screen Rant’s Ash Crossan found the film "quite charming," complimenting its heartfelt message and visuals. Some reviewers even suggest it could become “people’s favorite live-action remake,” joining the ranks of Aladdin and Cinderella.
Online users commented on the flopped movie, with many criticizing its "woke" storyline
