Disney’s live-action remake ofSnow Whitehas massively underperformed at the box office, but the similarSnow White and the Huntsmanwas a bona fide hit in 2012.Snow Whiteis the latest in a long line of live-action reimaginings of classic Disney animated films. Most of them have been successful at the box office, likeAladdinandBeauty and the Beast, and some of them have even been well-received by critics, likeThe Jungle Book. ButSnow Whitehas been a critical and commercial disappointment; it received mostly negative reviews from critics and got review-bombed by audiences.
WhileA Minecraft Moviehas been breaking box office records and exceeding expectations left and right,Snow Whitehas been a flop. It was partly hampered by its whopping $250 million budget, necessitating a worldwide gross of $625 million to break even, but it’s not even close to turning a profit for the Mouse House.Snow Whitehas grossed just $77 million at the domestic box office, falling far short of its initial projections.Snow White’s controversieshaven’t helped it, but a different live-actionSnow Whitemovie seemed to set up a much stronger theatrical run.
Disney’s Snow White Remake Has Made Significantly Less Than 2012’s Snow White & The Huntsman
Snow White & The Huntsman Was A Bona Fide Blockbuster Hit
Back in 2012, a different live-actionSnow Whitefilm —Snow White and the Huntsman— was a much bigger box office hit than Disney’s official live-action remake. Throughout its theatrical run,Snow White and the Huntsmangrossed a worldwide total of $396.6 million against a production budget of $170 million(viaBox Office Mojo). It was a big enough hit to turn a profit for the studio and score a sequel,The Huntsman: Winter’s War. Disney’sSnow Whiteremake isn’t out of theaters yet, but it won’t come close to making that amount.
Disney’s Snow White remake isn’t out of theaters yet, but it won’t come close to making that amount.
Much like Rachel Zegler’sSnow Whitemovie,Snow White and the Huntsmanset out to tell a more empowering version of the original fairy tale that gave Snow White a bit more agency.Snow White and the Huntsmantells the story as an action-adventure and turnsKristen Stewart’s Snow Whiteinto a badass action hero. When Charlize Theron’s Evil Queen sends Chris Hemsworth’s Huntsman to assassinate Snow White, they team up to overthrow the queen.
Why Snow White & The Huntsman’s Box Office Is So Much Bigger Than Disney’s Remake
Twilight’s Popularity Was At An All-Time High
By featuring Stewart in a gloomy fantasy epic,Snow White and the Huntsmanwas able to capitalize on the success ofTwilight, which was at an all-time high in 2012 in between the first and second halves ofBreaking Dawn. It’s also important to remember that movie theaters were in a much healthier place in 2012. It was long before streaming would dominate the industry and COVID-19 would land a devastating blow to the market. Still, even taking all of that into account, Disney’sSnow Whiteremake isn’t close to matching the success ofSnow White and the Huntsman.
