Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White has barely scratched the surface of its budget despite a $100 million mark just over a week ago. The film, which was delayed by two years due to the pandemic, is still struggling with production costs and controversy surrounding its critics score.
The production company behind the movie, Hidden Heart Productions, revealed that Disney had spent a staggering $269.4 million on making Snow White as of December 31, 2023. This figure includes principal photography, reshoots, post-production work, and the UK government’s fiscal incentives scheme, which resulted in a $55.5 million reimbursement.
To break even at the box office, Disney needs to make at least $427.8 million, considering a typical split of 50-50 between studios and theaters. However, Snow White has so far grossed just $100.2 million globally, leaving Disney still a long way from covering its costs.
A controversy surrounding critics’ reviews, which gave the film a 41% score on Rotten Tomatoes, may be partly to blame for its poor performance. The high audience score of 73% could be skewed by popular sentiment. This highlights the Catch 22 of remaking animated classics: staying true to the source material might alienate fans, while being too different could attract criticism.
Disney is already doubling down on another remake, a live-action version of Lilo & Stitch, which was better received than Snow White’s trailer. If its profits compensate for Snow White’s loss, Disney may get its “happy ending” after all.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinereid/2025/03/29/how-much-does-disneys-snow-white-need-to-gross-to-break-even