Disney’s Snow White Remake Was Doomed from “Once Upon a Time”

$200 million.

That’s the reported production budget for Disney’s latest attempt to resurrect Snow White, a property with more baggage than a TSA carousel in LAX. For context, that’s enough to fund 10 to 20 indie films that could launch the next Jordan Peele, Greta Gerwig, or Daniels.

Instead, we got a live-action adaptation of a deeply problematic 1937 fairy tale… again.

A Box Office Dwarf

Despite all the spectacle, CGI, and cultural tap-dancing, Snow White sleepwalked through its opening weekend with just $43M domestic and $87.3M globally, against that $209M budget. Critics were merciless with puns:

• “…More SLEEPY than HAPPY”
• “…Leads with SLEEPY $43M”
• “…A box office DWARF”

But honestly? This goes beyond puns and hits on straight up common sense issues.

You Can’t Polish a Poisoned Apple

Even if the movie was decent (and reviews suggest it’s fine, in the same way instant oatmeal is fine), you can’t slap a new coat of CGI on a story that’s fundamentally broken.

Let’s review the greatest hits of Snow White’s original DNA:

• It’s literally called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, you can’t sidestep the problematic depiction of dwarfism by calling them “magical creatures” while keeping the same archetypes.
• Snow White is 14 in Disney canon, kissed by a man who is very much not 14. And yes, she’s unconscious when it happens.
• The story glorifies cleaning, cooking, and nurturing for seven grown men in the woods like that’s what dreams are made of.
• The villain is… a woman aging naturally. Her crime? Not being the youngest and prettiest anymore.
• The moral is: if you’re sweet and submissive, one day a man will save you. Cool. Totally what we should be reinforcing in 2025.
• And don’t get me started on apples. I love apples. I don’t need them ruined by toxic narratives.

Disney’s Response? Cosmetic Surgery Vs. a Rebuild

To its credit, Disney tried. Sort of.

• Swapped the aging villain for Gal Gadot. (Bold move: now we’re supposed to believe Gal Gadot is less beautiful than… anyone?)
• Cast Latina actress Rachel Zegler as Snow White, great for representation, but still weird when your title character is described as “skin white as snow” in canon.
• Kept the seven characters but never refers to them as dwarves.
• Replaces the “creepy prince” with a “charming bandit” (because the only thing more romantic than a stranger kissing you while you’re unconscious is one robbing you first).
• Still includes the non-consensual kiss. But this time with extra lens flare.

And yet, none of it fixes the foundation. As The Hollywood Reporter nailed it:

“This movie, like the other remakes, wants to have it both ways and ends up going nowhere.”

Could’ve Been a Win… If It Weren’t Snow White

Here’s the real kicker: If this movie had been called anything else, if it had ditched the glass coffin and old baggage, it might’ve crushed.

• Zegler? Talented.
• Gadot? Charismatic. (Problematic, too, but that’s for another blog post.)
• The visual effects? Disney never skimps.

But by tying themselves to this IP, Disney shackled the film to nearly 90 years of outdated messaging, problematic tropes, and fairy tale trauma. It’s the Rebel Moon dilemma in reverse: Zack Snyder couldn’t get a Star Wars greenlight, so he built something new. Disney could’ve done the same here.

Instead, they buried originality under the weight of a poisoned legacy.

Other Princesses, Same Curse

Let’s not pretend Snow White is the only one dragging trauma into 2025:

Cinderella	If you’re pretty, patient, and endure abuse, a man will reward you with marriage.
Sleeping Beauty	If you’re 16, unconscious, and kissed by a stranger in the woods, congrats, you’re royalty.
The Little Mermaid	If you’re 16 and fall for a guy you just saw, give up your family, voice, and species to impress him. Emphasis on voice. “If you’re quiet, you’ll be a good wife.”
Pocahontas	A 12-year-old Indigenous girl learns about nature from a white guy in his 30s. What could go wrong?

What Hollywood Could Do Instead

There’s a generation of indie filmmakers with fresh ideas, diverse perspectives, and modern values, all waiting to be funded. Instead of spending $200M trying to retcon 1937, greenlight 20 $10M indie films and see what rises.

That’s how you get the next Get Out. The next Everything Everywhere. The next Past Lives.

And maybe…just maybe…you avoid becoming the punchline of every “box office DWARF” headline for the next week.

Moral of the story?

• If the tale is that tired, maybe let it rest.
• Not every princess needs to be resurrected.
• Some stories are better left in the vault.