According to the latest data from Forbes magazine and British financial reports,Disney's live-action movie "Snow White", released in March 2025, suffered a catastrophic box office failure, causing Disney a net loss of approximately US$170 million in theatrical distribution alone.
The production process of the film was lengthy and involved reshoots.The final cost soared to $336.5 million, making it one of Disney's most expensive movies ever.
Despite receiving nearly US$65 million in tax breaks from the UK, its global box office was only US$205.7 million, which could not even cover the production costs, let alone the huge marketing expenses.
This makes it one of Disney's worst box office flops in recent years, following other flops in 2025.
Analysts generally attributed the failure to out-of-control production costs and lingering controversies surrounding the casting and comments made by star Rachel Zegler.Zegler has called the 1937 original animation "outdated" and called the prince a "stalker," comments that triggered a wave of backlash from conservative viewers.
However, Disney's subsequent live-action version of "Lilo and Stitch" grossed $1 billion worldwide. This stark contrast shows that brand magic no longer works automatically, and audience loyalty to the original is more critical than mass marketing.
From the casting controversy of "The Little Mermaid" to the controversy and huge losses of "Snow White", Disney's road to live-action classic animation seems to have fallen into a strange circle. What do you think was the main reason for its failure?