Disney faced criticisms before but its current attempt to recreate a beloved fairytale resulted in what reviewers labeled as one of their most embarrassing failures.
The $300 million production of Snow White Live-Action has cost Disney its biggest failure since becoming a major studio remakes.
Beyond its disappointing performance at the box office the film has sparked widespread media attention about other elements of the production.
The disastrous failure of Enchanted led Disney to halt the production of its live-action adaptation of Tangled.
Backers of the Disney live-action Tangled remake supported the project with director Michael Gracey who also handled The Greatest Showman and writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson who contributed to Thor: Love and Thunder but Disney canceled the production permanently.
Sources indicated Disney had initiated actor recruitment sessions when the studio made a sudden termination of their upcoming movie project.
The company made its choice while operating independently from any other influences.
Faces complete extinction because of Snow White’s demoralizing commercial failure that brought uproar instead of excitement during the project’s early stages.
Lead actress Rachel Zegler sparked outrage among Disney purists when she openly criticized the 1937 original, calling its romantic plot “weird” and dismissing the prince as a stalker. She clearly defined that her Snow White adaptation would prioritize leadership above romantic elements by stating
“We didn’t do that this time.”
The removal of conventional fairy tale elements in the movie resonated negatively with viewers. Its decision to scrap the classic seven dwarfs and introduce new characters—rendered in CGI and stripped of the term “dwarf” altogether—was widely mocked. Critics branded the movie everything from “unrecognisable” to “unwatchable.”
The television host remarked at worldwide broadcast that the film should have been titled “Snow Woke and the Seven Pronouns.” The review suggested that viewers would leave if they saw this movie playing on a plane.
The ongoing political dispute showed itself through creative conflicts.
A fierce online dispute between Zegler who backed Palestine and costar Gal Gadot who supported Israel disrupted the Snow White marketing strategy and social media discussions.
Disney reduced Madonna Erlandea Zegler’s media appearances to a bare minimum while the start canceled the London premiere screening of the film.
Snow White collected approximately $100 million at its premiere weekend yet its production costs exceeded $600 million thus making it unprofitable. The film received disappointing reviews which resulted in both bad audience scores and less than favorable ratings from critics at Rotten Tomatoes.
Reviews about Zegler’s performance received positive remarks yet critics declared Gadot’s Evil Queen character as one of Disney’s weakest villains throughout their history.
As DiscussingFilm brutally noted, “Gadot is woefully miscast… unable to sell us on the glamour, fierceness, or true camp of a classic Disney villain.”
Disney now faces an entire review of its remake approach following this recent setback.
Production is ongoing for Lilo & Stitch and Moana animated films which face extensive review by the audience. Studio personnel have recently admitted to preparing for upcoming financial damage because poor performance of their next few adaptations might force them to shut down their billion-dollar live-action franchise.
The tower entrance to Tangled remains permanently shut. Audiences must accept that the combination of the red-haired princess with her shrewd paramour will remain absent from movie theaters forever.
And with mounting losses and increasing public fatigue over “woke” reinterpretations, Disney might finally be learning that not every fairytale needs a modern twist.
All sorts of powers have clear boundaries which cannot be surpassed.
Featured Image Credit: (Disney) (APF)
