Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, in lead roles, was off to a rather slow start at the Indian box office.
The fairytale was among the few films that opened under the Rs 1 crore mark this year. According to Sacnilk.com, the movie earned just around Rs 65 lakh on its opening day in theatres in India. Besides being among the lower Hollywood openers in the country, it was also beaten by the Bollywood films like ‘Chhaava’ and ‘The Diplomat’, both of which scored over Rs 1.5 crore at the box office on Friday.
North American Box Office Performance
According to Deadline, the film is projected to earn between $45 million and $55 million from 4,200 North American theatres during its opening weekend. The film kicked off with $15.5 million on Friday, which includes $3.5 million from Thursday night previews, according to industry estimates.
Snow White’s opening trajectory places it in the same range as Disney’s 2019 Dumbo, which earned $15.2 million on its first day and finished its debut weekend with $46 million. However, it must be noted that this live-action carries a significantly higher production budget—$270 million compared to Dumbo’s $170 million.
International Box Office
Internationally, Snow White is estimated to earn an additional $50 million, pushing its projected global debut past $100 million. However, these figures fall short of earlier tracking predictions, which suggested the film could open north of $60 million at the US box office.
Controversies Cast a Shadow Over Release
The film’s release has not been without challenges. The film has faced public backlash over significant changes to the original story. Additionally, calls for boycotts emerged due to Zegler and Gadot’s opposing public stances on the Israel-Hamas war, adding further controversy to the film’s rollout. In response to the brewing controversies, Disney scaled back the film’s premiere, opting to forgo a red carpet event, which limited media access.
Live-Action Lineup
Snow White is the latest in Disney’s lineup of live-action remakes of animated classic blockbusters. While previous films such as The Lion King (2019) and Aladdin (2019) crossed the $1 billion mark globally, other adaptations like Dumbo and The Little Mermaid (2023) have delivered weaker box office performances despite hefty budgets.
