Disney’s Snow White Flop Exposed: Rachel Zegler Controversy, Ballooning Budget, And Box Office Collapse Cost Studio $170 Million

The financial damage from Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White is now becoming clear, and the results are disastrous.

I was really surprised to read Caroline Reid’s recent report in Forbes about Disney’s Snow White remake. It wasn’t just a disappointment – it truly flopped. Between the rising production costs, poor ticket sales, and all the issues surrounding the lead actor, Disney is reportedly down around $170 million just from the movie’s theatrical run. It’s a huge loss, and honestly, quite shocking.

Add marketing into the mis and this catastrophe becomes a box office apocalyptic event.

And when you start digging into how this happened, the story gets even worse.

A Budget That Spiraled Out Of Control

According to financial documents related to the U.K. production of Snow White, the movie cost a remarkable $336.5 million to make. This puts its budget on par with major blockbuster franchises like Star Wars and Avengers.

That alone would have been a massive gamble for a remake of a nearly 90-year-old animated classic.

But the problems started long before the movie ever hit theaters.

The movie faced numerous problems during production. A fire damaged the set at Pinewood Studios, and significant re-filming added to the already rising costs. By mid-2022, even before the movie was finished, Disney had already spent more than $183 million.

Despite getting around $64.9 million back in U.K. taxes, Disney still spent about $271.6 million on production.

That meant the film needed to perform at blockbuster levels just to break even.

It didn’t come close.

Box Office Collapse Seals The Film’s Fate

Despite the massive investment, audiences simply didn’t show up.

The film launched with around $87.3 million worldwide, which was less than expected. Ultimately, it earned just $205.7 million during its time in theaters.

That places it among the lowest-grossing of Disney’s modern live-action remakes.

And here’s where the math turns brutal.

Movie studios don’t get to keep all the money from ticket sales. Usually, theaters keep about half, so Disney made around $102.9 million from the film’s time in cinemas.

When you compare that to the $271.6 million it cost to make the film, it looks like the movie lost around $168 to $170 million in theaters.

Hence the headline reality: the Snow White flop cost Disney dearly.

Marketing Costs Could Push The ‘Snow White’ Flop Even Deeper Into The Red

Beyond the already significant estimated $170 million loss from the movie’s theatrical run, the financial situation surrounding the failure of Snow White is even worse when you include the costs of marketing and promotion.

Big-budget movies aren’t just expensive to make – they also need huge marketing campaigns worldwide. For major Disney releases, marketing and distribution typically cost between $100 million and $150 million, depending on how widely the movie is released.

That spend typically covers:

Worldwide trailer placement
Television advertising buys
Digital and social media campaigns
Brand partnerships and cross-promotions
Red carpet premieres and press tours
International localization and dubbing promotion

Because of the criticism surrounding the movie Snow White, Disney likely had to invest heavily in public relations and promotion to try and reshape the conversation and still attract viewers. There were also reports that the company brought in social media experts to monitor the online activity of star Rachel Zegler after she shared some controversial political opinions.

Here’s a key point about the film’s finances: the reported $336.5 million production cost doesn’t include marketing expenses. This information comes from U.K. production filings.

This indicates that the estimated $168–170 million loss from theatrical release only accounts for the difference between ticket sales and the direct costs of making the film.

Adding in around $100–150 million in marketing costs, the total losses from the disappointing performance of Snow White could be much greater – possibly exceeding $250 million (and potentially over $300 million) before any money from things like merchandise or streaming is counted.

The film’s financial troubles might not end with its poor performance in theaters; this could just be the beginning of a larger financial impact.

Controversy Followed The Film From Day One

The film’s failure wasn’t just due to money problems. It faced strong criticism even before it came out.

Rachel Zegler, the lead actress, often made news by speaking out against the original 1937 animated film that inspired the remake. She described the story as old-fashioned and criticized the character of Prince Charming.

That commentary didn’t sit well with longtime Disney fans.

The negative reaction grew stronger after the first trailers showed the film’s computer-generated dwarfs, a design that was heavily criticized and ridiculed online, with many finding it disturbing.

The trailer received a lot of negative feedback and became one of the least popular promotional videos ever released for a Disney film.

Political Commentary Added Fuel To The Fire

Zegler’s off-screen commentary only deepened the divide.

Disney and the team making the film were reportedly worried about posts on social media, particularly those with strong political opinions about world events and U.S. politics. Actress Rachel Zegler publicly shared a strong statement on Instagram, saying she hoped former President Trump and his followers would not find peace.

Producers reportedly tried to control her social media presence, worried it could harm the movie’s reputation before it came out.

By that stage, however, the reputational impact was already baked in.

The film wasn’t just facing audience skepticism — it was battling full-blown consumer rejection.

A Historic Low For Disney Remakes

When stacked against Disney’s other live-action adaptations, the numbers paint a grim picture.

Even when accounting for ticket price increases over time, older Disney remakes like 102 Dalmatians and Christopher Robin actually earned more money than Snow White did.

It’s been decades since a release did this poorly, not counting the pandemic years.

As a big Disney fan, it’s honestly shocking to see how badly Snow White did. It feels like just yesterday they were absolutely sure every live-action remake would be a massive hit, basically printing money. This feels like a huge turning point for them – a real wake-up call.

Can Ancillary Revenue Save It?

As a film buff, I know Disney will continue making money from things like Blu-rays, letting other platforms stream their content, and all the merchandise – but it’s not as simple as just counting that money. They still have to spend a lot to actually get those sales, with marketing and getting everything distributed. It all adds up!

In other words, theatrical loss may only be part of the damage.

The Bigger Picture For Disney

Despite one recent flop, Disney is continuing to successfully remake its animated classics – their live-action version of Lilo & Stitch has now earned over $1 billion worldwide.

But that success only illustrates how sharply Snow White deviated from expectations.

The recent financial failure of Disney’s live-action remake – losing almost $170 million in theaters and over $300 million overall – highlights problems with how Disney manages its popular brands, whether audiences still connect with them, and the ever-increasing costs of making movies.

If spending this much money no longer ensures a hit movie, Disney’s strategy of making remakes has suddenly become much riskier.

2026-02-10 19:00