Disney's ‘Snow White’ Remake Faces a $115 Million Loss Amid Rachel Zegler Controversy

Disney's highly anticipated live-action remake of "Snow White" is expected to suffer a staggering loss of around $115 million, primarily fueled by the controversies surrounding its lead actress, Rachel Zegler. The film, which premiered on March 21, has not only drawn criticism for Zegler's inflammatory remarks regarding Israel, Donald Trump, and her remarks about Disney itself but has also underperformed at the box office.

In its second weekend, "Snow White" earned a mere $14.2 million domestically, representing a dramatic 66% drop from its opening weekend. As of now, the film's total worldwide gross stands at approximately $143.1 million, according to distribution sources.

With detailed forecasts estimating a total revenue of $295 million – which includes about $101 million from global theatrical rentals, $62 million from home entertainment sales, and $130 million from streaming and TV rights, as well as $2 million from merchandise – it’s clear that the movie will fall significantly short of its production costs. The total budget for the film was a whopping $410 million, with $270 million allocated for production alone. This ballooning cost was largely attributed to production delays from industry strikes and a significant fire incident that occurred on set in the UK. Additionally, promotional expenses and other miscellaneous costs added another $140 million to the tally.

Zegler, of Colombian and Polish descent, has faced backlash for her outspoken views, including comments made after the presidential election where she declared, “F–k Donald Trump.” This statement was backed by her open support for Palestine during the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, which reportedly clashed with the sentiments of her co-star, Gal Gadot, who has served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

During promotional interviews, Zegler didn’t hold back when discussing the animated classic, referring to it as outdated and criticizing its romantic storyline, saying, “The original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with the guy who literally stalks her. Weird, weird.” Despite her critical stance, Zegler attempted to temper her comments recently by expressing that playing Snow White was “the honor of a lifetime.”

However, the mounting criticisms and controversies have overshadowed the film's release, putting it on track to join the ranks of Disney flops. The expected box office earnings are significantly lower than those of other recent live-action adaptations such as "Dumbo" and "The Little Mermaid," which faced their share of backlash related to casting decisions but nonetheless garnered higher revenues. "Dumbo," directed by Tim Burton, made about $353 million globally with a $170 million budget, while "The Little Mermaid" grossed $569.6 million worldwide, against a $250 million budget.

In comparison, other successful remakes like "The Lion King" and "Aladdin" raked in massive profits—$1.5 billion and $1 billion, respectively. The striking difference raises troubling questions about the direction Disney is heading with its live-action adaptations.

As audiences eagerly await Disney's response to this mounting controversy and box office disappointment, one thing is for sure: the magic that once surrounded Disney's fairy tales seems to be fading. Will Rachel Zegler's remarks and the film's struggles lead to lasting impacts on Disney's future projects? Only time will tell.