Mickey is having trouble with his new live-action film. As expected, given the harsh criticism it faced prior to its release, Snow White is not set to be a hit at the global box office. The film directed by Marc Webb only grossed 87 million dollars during its opening weekend worldwide. In the United States, Disney's most important market, its revenue amounts to just 43 million dollars. While this isn't a huge flop in the context of early-year releases, it is significantly lower than most offerings of its kind. For comparison, The Lion King made 191 million dollars in 2019, and Beauty and the Beast earned 174 million two years earlier. Snow White even underperformed compared to Dumbo, which made 46 million dollars.
According to box office analysts' predictions, Snow White was expected to shine with an American box office of 53 million dollars. However, those already modest expectations were not met. The film is likely to face ongoing challenges in the coming weeks, given its lukewarm reviews and consequently poor word-of-mouth. Currently, the film holds a 43% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics compared to 74% from audiences, and it has a score of 50 out of 100 on Metacritic. Such a reception will likely hinder its longevity unless a miracle occurs.
Nonetheless, Snow White is not only facing setbacks. It did manage to achieve a better start than Mufasa: The Lion King, which is set for release at the end of 2024 and only accumulated 35 million dollars in the American market. Despite initial poor forecasts, Barry Jenkins' film surprised many by maintaining steady attendance week after week. After three weeks, it showed only a 35% drop in attendance from the previous week. With a budget of 200 million dollars excluding marketing expenses, the film, which narrates the origins of the fratricidal war between Scar and Mufasa, finished with a total of 719 million dollars. For now, Snow White still has a chance to recover, but as Disney continues to produce live-action remakes, the question remains: does the audience still have an appetite for such offerings?
