One of Disney’s most recent live-action remakes just can’t seem to catch a break. The House of Mouse has largely detoured away from new original ideas the past several years to instead dip into its catalog of classics, but a 2025 live-action musical reimagining of one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics was a major blunder for the studio, both in terms of controversy and box office haul. After being panned by critics and becoming a massive box office flop, that movie was just once again overshadowed by another 2025 release.
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There’s not much to say about Disney’s Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot-starring live-action Snow White, except for the fact that it is destined to be remembered as an all-around disaster. The big-budget movie hit theaters back in March on the heels of social and political controversies and turned out to be a box office flop. As the year has gone on, new release after new release has surpassed Snow White’s box office haul, and Zach Cregger’s R-rated mystery horror film Weapons just became the latest.
Starring Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, Weapons centers around the mysterious disappearance of 17 children from the same classroom and the community left questioning who or what is behind it. The film was released in theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on August 8, 2025, and in less than a month has pulled in more than $119 million domestically and $207 million globally. Those numbers mean Weapons has officially overtaken Snow White in both metrics after the Disney movie only grossed $87 million and $205 million at the domestic and global box office.
Now White and Weapons Had Very Different Paths to the Big Screen
Weapons’ box office success, which currently puts it at No. 15 on the list of highest-grossing movies at the global box office this year, was bolstered by a successful, mysterious viral marketing campaign that left much of the film’s plot a complete mystery and generated plenty of intrigue for moviegoers and almost certainly contributed to high ticket sales. The film also headed into theaters with rave reviews from critics and currently holds a 94% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, an impressive number that only furthers interest in the movie.
Snow White’s story was very different. The movie had a long road filled with obstacles to finally get to the screen, including numerous behind-the-scenes controversies surrounding its casting, live-action depiction of the Seven Dwarves, and Zegler’s own political statements. The film’s production also went up against the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes. When it finally did hit theaters, it wasn’t the big-ticket seller Disney had likely been hoping for, and it’s only managed to snag a 39% critics’ score.
Snow White isn’t a complete failure, though. The movie did generate some moderate success once it reached streaming, and it has secured a 70% audience rating. The film may also be helping to shape the future of Disney’s releases. Disney seems to be rethinking its live-action remake strategy and has pumped the brakes on at least a few planned remakes of its nostalgic movies, including Tangled and The Aristocats, decision that were seemingly influenced by Snow White’s underwhelming performance.
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Image courtesy of Prokino Filmverleih
