Rachel Zegler’s Snow White: Early Box Office Projections Show Ongoing Decline for Live-Action Disney Remakes

As the release date for the highly anticipated live-action Snow White remake approaches—set for March 20—early box office estimations are already emerging. With Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler taking on the iconic role of Snow White, the film reimagines the classic story, depicting Snow as the offspring of a deposed king, whose kingdom has been seized by the menacing Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen. Following her escape from captivity, Snow White enlists the help of seven magical creatures to reclaim her rightful throne. Directed by Marc Webb, this adaptation has sparked considerable controversy throughout its production journey.

According to reports by Deadline, early projections for the film’s box office performance suggest it may secure a domestic opening weekend gross between $63-$70 million. If these figures hold true, this would mark the most successful opening weekend for Zegler, surpassing her previous record of $44.6 million from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Implications for Disney’s Snow White

A Mid-Range Opening for Disney’s Remake

While the $63-$70 million projection may seem modest, it raises concerns regarding the film’s overall box office potential. Reports indicate that the film’s production budget might exceed $269 million. Considering the marketing and distribution expenditures, which typically approximate 2.5 times the production budget, the break-even point could soar to around $673 million.

In comparison to recent live-action remakes from Disney, Zegler’s Snow White would fall somewhere in the mid-tier of opening weekends. This performance places it as the lowest since Tim Burton’s Dumbo. Moreover, it seems to reflect a continuing trend of diminishing box office returns for the genre, where many titles have struggled to reach the $90-$100 million range that earlier adaptations routinely achieved. Below, you can see a chart illustrating how Snow White’s projections stack up against other Disney remakes:

Title	Opening Weekend Domestic Box Office	Final Global Box Office Tally
Maleficent	$69.4 Million	$758.4 Million
Cinderella	$67.9 Million	$542.4 Million
The Jungle Book	$103.3 Million	$966.6 Million
Alice Through the Looking Glass	$33.5 Million	$299.5 Million
Beauty and the Beast	$174.8 Million	$1.27 Billion
Dumbo	$46 Million	$353.3 Million
Aladdin	$91.5 Million	$1.05 Billion
The Lion King	$191.8 Million	$1.66 Billion
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil	$36.9 Million	$491.7 Million
Cruella	$26.5 Million	$233.5 Million
The Little Mermaid	$118.8 Million	$569.6 Million
Mufasa: The Lion King	$35.4 Million	$654.5 Million
Snow White	$63-$70 Million (projected)	N/A

Except for Cruella, which debuted amid the COVID-19 pandemic through dual theatrical and Disney+ releases, most Disney adaptations that opened in a similar financial bracket to Snow White ultimately failed to exceed $600 million globally. Although Mufasa: The Lion King initially underperformed but later rebounded, Zegler’s Snow White may not enjoy the same trajectory due to the controversies that have diminished anticipation among audiences.

Assessing Snow White’s Box Office Prospects

Quiet Release Weekend: A Potential Advantage

Despite the challenges facing the film, there remains a glimmer of hope for the live-action Snow White remake to achieve box office success. Similar to the way Mufasa: The Lion King turned around with positive audience feedback, Zegler’s film—debuting during a relatively quiet release weekend and competing primarily against Robert De Niro’s Alto Knights—could capture the family audience’s attention effectively if they choose to prioritize this latest Disney adaptation.

Source: Deadline

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