Mirror, mirror on the wall, will Disney’s Snow White rule the box office after all? Gather around folks, for the modern adaptation of the iconic 1937 fairytale has hit the theaters on March 21. Starring Rachel Zegler in the titular role, opposite Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, the 2025 remake is all about putting a fresh spin on the OG animated story.
But while it sounds all good, the real question remains—whether Disney’s Snow White will be profitable, or will it succumb to the financial curse. Considering the rumored budget and the controversies surrounding the stars, let’s check out how much this fairytale adaptation needs to collect to have a profitable ending.
What is Snow White’s reported budget?
After decades since the release of the first Snow White animation movie in 1937, Disney came up with the live-action adaptation of the fairytale, starring Rachel Zegler as the titular character and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. So far, it has been revealed that the OG storyline has been revamped to meet the expectations of modern audiences, with a hint of a feminist approach.
And in doing so, Disney’s 2025 movie came with a jaw-dropping price tag. According to reports from Variety, the production budget alone was a staggering $240M, excluding marketing prices. So now, this colossal figure has placed Zegler and Gadot’s Snow White among Disney’s most expensive live-action adaptations, alongside films like The Little Mermaid and The Lion King.
Meanwhile, the staggering budget is said to have covered everything from the iconic set designs to the nostalgic costumes and captivating visual effects. After all, creating a fairytale kingdom that’s set to evoke nostalgia with a hint of modernism is no easy feat. Not to mention the involvement of A-list stars like Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot also contributed significantly to the costs.
Now that’s just the calculation for the estimated $240M budget that excludes marketing prices. So, if we start calculating the expenses for Disney’s signature marketing strategies with glitzy premieres, global promotional tours, and of course the merchandise, then the budget stands somewhere between $300-$400M. And we all know, how such a hefty investment raises the stakes and makes it challenging for a film to succeed.
What are the early projections of Snow White?
Considering the budget, Snow White now needs to do its charm on audiences and earn back the sum that Disney has spent. But sadly, the 2025 film has been plagued with controversies and criticism, even before it hit the theatres. From Rachel Zegler’s remarks on the OG movie to its modern reimagining, the movie has been in the headlines for everything other than its fairytale plot.
Yet, Snow White has managed to generate $3.5M from Thursday preview screenings from 4,200 theaters (via The Wrap). Although it’s not exactly record-breaking, it’s not a disastrous start either. Especially since the 2019 remake of Dumbo had earned $2.8M in previews, and even Kung Fu Panda 4 had bagged $3.8M in previews. Based on these trends, industry experts predict that Snow White might find similar success.
Since Dumbo later earned $45.9M during its opening weekend, and Kung Fu Panda 4 managed to pull a solid $58M opening, Snow White is also expected to witness a $45-50M opening weekend. While this projection won’t set the box office ablaze, it might at least help the movie eventually reach a decent sum and rub shoulders with other mid-tier Disney remakes.
However, opening weekend numbers are just the beginning of the box office story. The real challenge lies in gaining momentum and maintaining it (if not boosting it) over the following weeks. Therein, positive word-of-mouth and strong audience reception often come in handy in pushing the film to its success. But considering the ongoing controversies and the mediocre reviews of Snow White, it seems the film might face a grave challenge.
How much does Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s movie need to earn?
Based on the above-mentioned budget and Snow White‘s opening weekend predictions, let’s take a look at how much the movie needs to earn to be pronounced a box office success. As per the general rule, a movie usually needs to earn 2.5 times its production budget to be considered profitable.
So now, based on this analysis, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot‘s movie that’s been made with an estimated $240M budget must rake in around $600M globally to break even. And that’s just the starting point. The film can earn more than that, but anything below that threshold would spell financial disappointment for Disney.
Considering the $240M budget, although $600M might seem like an impossible goal, other live-action Disney adaptations have pulled it off in the past. Films like Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Aladdin (2019) easily soared past the billion-dollar mark. And even the race-swapped controversy ladden The Little Mermaid managed to gross somewhat close to $600M—a struggling $569M.
Controversies surrounding Rachel Zegler’s Snow White
Amid the box office analysis and lukewarm reception of Disney’s 2025 movie Snow White that’s been raising concerns among netizens about the success of the film, people were reminded of the controversies surrounding the movie. The majority of this was sparked after Rachel Zegler‘s bold remarks about the OG live-action animation.
During the promotion of Snow White, as Zegler described her version of the character as a leader who doesn’t need a prince to save her, the actress was slammed for assigning antifeminist sentiment to the fairytale character. Further, as she claimed to have found the 1937 film scary as a child, it once again raised eyebrows.
In an interview with Variety at the Disney Fan Club’s D23 Expo, Zegler shared,
I just mean that it’s no longer 1937. [Snow White] is not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.
During an interview with EW, the actress noted,
I was scared of the original cartoon. I think I watched it once and then I never picked it up again. Like I’m being so serious. I watched it once and then I went on the ride in Disney World. It was called Snow White’s Scary Adventures.
Doesn’t sound like something little kids would like. Was terrified of it, never revisited Snow White again. So I watched it for the first time in 16-17 years when I was doing this film.
Eventually, these comments led Rachel Zegler to face criticism, where people slammed her pseudo-feminist remarks. People argued that Disney princesses don’t have to be turned into “girl bosses” to fit modern-day parameters. Not just that, netizens also slammed Zegler for forcefully pushing the idea of power-hungry women.
Will Snow White be able to defy the odds?
Now, with a reported budget of $240M, a break-even goal of $600M, and the controversies plaguing the movie, the stakes for Disney’s Snow White seem higher than ever. Although early projections suggest a modest opening, it remains to be seen if the movie could push through the challenges and rise to fairytale heights.
Considering how Disney often relies on nostalgia and beloved IPs to drive box office success—and Rachel Zegler has played against that nostalgia with her woke comments, there seems to be a high risk looming over the 2025 adaptation. Ultimately, the fate of Snow White rests in the hands of moviegoers.
Only time will tell if people will embrace this modern retelling or if the movie will succumb to the curse of the Evil Queen.
Snow White is currently running at your nearest theaters.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
