Disney’s live-action Snow White remake, once heralded as a bold reinvention of the studio’s foundational fairy tale, is now teetering on the edge of an unprecedented financial catastrophe. As of April 9, 2025, tracking data suggests the film, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, is poised to suffer a historic loss at the box office this weekend, potentially dropping out of the top three domestic earners just weeks after its March 21 debut. With a global haul of $168.6 million against a $270 million budget, the film’s dismal performance has stunned industry watchers and sparked fierce debate about what went wrong. Is this the death knell for Disney’s live-action remake empire, or a fluke in an otherwise resilient franchise? Let’s break down the numbers, the narrative, and the fallout shaking Hollywood to its core.

A Steep Fall from Grace

When Snow White opened to $42.2 million domestically, it claimed the No. 1 spot, but the victory was Pyrrhic. Early projections had pegged the film for a $63–70 million debut, and its $87.3 million global opening fell short of the $100 million Disney hoped for. The second weekend was even grimmer—a 66% drop to $14.2 million, the worst week-two decline for any Disney live-action remake, surpassing Dumbo’s 60.4% slide in 2019. By its third weekend, ending April 6, it grossed just $6.1 million domestically, slipping to fourth place behind A Minecraft Movie ($301 million global debut), A Working Man ($15.2 million opening), and The Chosen: Last Supper ($11.4 million).

Now, tracking for the April 11–13 weekend—the film’s fourth—paints a dire picture. Analysts at Boxoffice Pro estimate a domestic take of $3–5 million, a 50–67% drop from last weekend, likely pushing it below newcomers like The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 2 and holdovers like The Woman in the Yard ($9.4 million debut). If it falls out of the top three, Snow White would mark a historic low for a Disney tentpole of this scale, trailing even underperformers like Mufasa: The Lion King ($717 million worldwide after a slow start). With a current domestic total of $77.7 million and $91.3 million internationally, the film’s path to profitability—needing at least $500 million—looks increasingly out of reach.

What’s Driving the Collapse?

The numbers tell a brutal story, but the reasons behind Snow White’s freefall are complex. First, there’s the film itself. Critics have been unkind, with a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score reflecting disdain for its “bashful treatment of the source material” and “dopey stylistic choices.” The CGI dwarfs, a late pivot after Peter Dinklage’s 2022 critique, drew ire for lacking the original’s charm, while the script’s focus on Snow White’s empowerment over romance failed to resonate. Audiences, giving it a 73% Popcornmeter score, liked Zegler’s luminous performance but found little else to love, with Rolling Stone dubbing it “Disney’s most controversial nightmare ever.”

Then there’s the Zegler factor. The 23-year-old star’s pre-release comments—calling the 1937 prince a “stalker” and the story “weird”—alienated purists, while her pro-Palestine and anti-Trump social media posts sparked boycotts from conservative circles. The trailer, released August 2024, became YouTube’s most disliked for a film, nearing a million thumbs-down, signaling early trouble. IMDb’s 91% one-star reviews by April suggest review-bombing, but the sentiment mirrors a broader rejection. “Families don’t care about online wars,” analyst Patrick Frater told the BBC, yet the controversies dulled the film’s appeal in a crowded market.

Competition hasn’t helped. A Minecraft Movie’s $58 million opening day on April 4 sucked up family audiences, offering a lighter, less fraught alternative. March’s box office was already soft—down 7% from 2024 and 39% from 2019, per Comscore—leaving Snow White little room to recover. China, a key market, delivered less than $1 million in its first three days, per EntGroup, underscoring global disinterest. “It’s not just ‘wokeness’—Disney failed to respect the crown,” PR expert Sarah Schmidt told Fox News, pointing to a disconnect with the story’s legacy.

A Historic Loss in Context

If Snow White exits the top three this weekend, it’ll be a rare ignominy for a Disney blockbuster. Historically, the studio’s live-action remakes have legs—Beauty and the Beast ($1.26 billion), The Lion King ($1.66 billion), even Dumbo ($353 million)—but Snow White is tracking closer to Mulan’s $70 million COVID-era flop. At $168.6 million worldwide, it’s already outpaced Mulan but lags far behind The Marvels ($206 million), another 2023 disappointment it’s been compared to on X. Posts like @OMBReviews’ note it’s 10% behind The Marvels’ three-week pace, projecting a $185 million finish—a devastating shortfall for a $270 million investment.

This could make Snow White one of Disney’s biggest live-action bombs, rivaling Solo: A Star Wars Story ($393 million against a similar budget). The studio’s “safety net” of $500 million, per The Hollywood Reporter, accounts for marketing and theatrical revenue splits, meaning losses could top $115 million. For a film tied to Disney’s origin story—the 1937 Snow White grossed $418 million adjusted—it’s a symbolic and financial gut punch.

Disney’s Response: Panic Mode?

The fallout is already rippling. On April 3, Thailand’s @TheMoviesRain reported Disney paused its live-action Tangled, helmed by Michael Gracey, citing Snow White’s $145 million haul (at that point) as a cautionary tale. While Lilo & Stitch (May 23, 2025) and Moana (July 10, 2026) remain on track, the Tangled delay signals doubt about the remake formula. “Disney’s hitting the wall,” wrote Forbes, noting the studio’s scramble to rethink its slate after Snow White and Mufasa underperformed expectations.

Insiders point fingers in all directions. Producer Marc Platt’s son Jonah blamed Zegler’s politics in a deleted Instagram rant, claiming her posts “hijacked” the film’s narrative. Box-office analysts, per Business Insider, counter that marketing missteps and poor reception outweigh controversy. The teaser’s negative buzz, visuals panned as “sleepy” by CNN Business, and a failure to hook younger viewers all share blame. Disney’s scaled-back premiere at the El Capitan Theatre hinted at low confidence—a self-fulfilling prophecy, perhaps.

Zegler’s Plight: Scapegoat or Spark?

For Zegler, the collapse is personal. Photos from April 8 show her looking weary in NYC, and sources claim she’s “crushed” by the film’s fate and Disney’s pivot. Her career, boasting $700 million in total grosses, now bears four flops, though The Hunger Games ($349 million) proves her draw. Her next role, Eva Perón in London’s Evita from June 2025, offers a lifeline, but the Snow White stain lingers. “She’s a star, not the problem,” argued critic David Ehrlich, yet her polarizing presence—amplified by a 2/10 IMDb score—has made her a lightning rod.

Fans rally with #JusticeForRachel, but detractors revel in the flop. X posts like @OliLondonTV’s highlight her “delusional” confidence pre-release, contrasting it with the $72 million domestic take by week three. Whether she’s a scapegoat for Disney’s missteps or a contributor to the chaos, Zegler’s emotional toll is undeniable.

What’s Next for Disney and Snow White?

If Snow White drops out of the top three this weekend, it’ll cement its status as a historic dud. A $185–200 million finish would rank it among 2025’s top earners—behind Ne Zha 2 ($1.9 billion) and Captain America: Brave New World ($403.8 million)—but still a failure for its cost. Disney’s upcoming slate hinges on redemption: Lilo & Stitch and Moana lack Snow White’s baggage, but Hercules and Bambi loom as riskier bets.

For now, Snow White’s collapse is a wake-up call. Audiences crave connection, not rehashes, as Minecraft’s triumph shows. Disney’s fairy-tale crown is tarnished, and Zegler’s tears reflect a broader reckoning. This weekend’s numbers will seal the film’s fate—historically bad or merely a stumble—but the story’s lesson is clear: even the fairest can fall when the magic’s lost.