Disney’s ‘Woke’ Snow White Reboot Gets Record-Low Ratings

Looks like Disney’s Snow White reboot bit into the wrong apple.

Disney’s latest live-action remake is shaping up to be one of the biggest flops in the company’s history. Directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, the film has struggled with poor reviews ahead of its March 21 release.

While a handful of critics praised Zegler’s performance, many have slammed the film’s execution and thematic choices. Disney’s $270 million musical remake is now tracking for a modest $45–55 million debut across 4,200 theaters—far below its earlier projections of $63–70 million.

Initially, analysts expected Snow White to mirror the success of Maleficent (2014), which opened to $69.4 million. With minimal competition at the box office, the film seemed poised for a strong showing. But by late February, industry forecasts took a dive, reflecting doubts about the film’s ability to overcome controversy and draw audiences.

As of now, it holds a 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Bangkok Thailand, 2 Mar 2025, Snow White movie post cut out standee cardboard display promotion

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian didn’t hold back, calling the film “exhaustingly awful” and criticizing its “tiresome pseudo-progressive additions.”

“With tiresome pseudo-progressive additions that tie the whole thing in knots, this is a waste of estimable entertainers like Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot,” Bradshaw wrote. “Those otherwise estimable performers are now forced to go through the motions, and they give the dullest performances of their lives.”

“This fudged, pseudo-progressive approach is so tiring you’ll want to put your head in your hands,” he added.

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The film has faced multiple controversies, from casting choices to major deviations from the original storyline. Actor Peter Dinklage, for example, condemned the portrayal of dwarfs, prompting Disney to reimagine them—a move that sparked even more debate.

“There’s a lot of hypocrisy going on,” Dinklage said on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast in 2022. “Literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback [when] they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White. But you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me.”

“You’re progressive in one way but then you’re still making that fcking backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together,” he said. “What the fck are you doing, man?”

Disney quickly responded, defending its approach in a statement to Deadline:

“To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community. We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.”

London, United Kingdom – March 07, 2023: Rachel Zegler attends the UK special screening of “Shazam! Fury Of The Gods” at Cineworld Leicester Square in London, England.

Despite the studio’s efforts to reframe the narrative, leaked casting sheets revealed that the seven dwarfs would be replaced by “magical creatures,” further fueling criticism.

Beyond the film itself, lead actress Rachel Zegler has drawn backlash for her past comments about the 1937 animated classic. In a 2022 interview, she dismissed the original film’s love story, calling the Prince “a guy who literally stalks her” and stressing the need to modernize the character beyond “waiting for true love.”

This latest misstep comes as Disney faces a rough stretch at the box office. Big-budget flops like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny have struggled, and audiences continue to push back against the company’s progressive agenda. With Snow White tracking well below expectations, it looks like Disney’s woes are far from over.