After years of mounting controversy and sky-high production costs, Disney’s live-action Snow White remake has reportedly become one of the most expensive box office disappointments in recent memory.
According to a Forbes report citing newly released financial filings, the 2025 remake carried a staggering production cost of $336.5 million. Even after accounting for a substantial reimbursement from the United Kingdom government — which offset approximately $64.9 million of that total — Disney’s net production expenses still landed at roughly $271.6 million.
The scale of that investment is striking. As Forbes contributor Caroline Reid noted, the film’s total cost exceeded that of major Disney tentpoles such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast, which grossed $1.3 billion worldwide.
Yet Snow White failed to generate comparable returns.
Industry analysts point to the standard revenue-sharing model between studios and theaters as a key factor in the reported losses. Film consultant Stephen Follows’ research suggests that theaters typically retain about 49% of box office receipts, a figure commonly rounded to a 50-50 split. Based on that model, Disney would have received approximately $102.9 million from global ticket sales.
Subtracting that figure from the net production cost of $271.6 million results in an estimated $168.7 million loss at the box office — before factoring in marketing expenses, which can add tens of millions more to a film’s overall budget.
Beyond the financial shortfall, the film faced years of cultural headwinds.
Actor Peter Dinklage publicly criticized the remake in 2022, questioning Disney’s decision to retell what he described as a “backwards story” centered on seven dwarfs. In response, Disney initially announced plans to reimagine the characters as a diverse group of “magical creatures,” though that approach was later abandoned in favor of computer-generated dwarfs resembling those from the original 1937 animated classic.
Lead actress Rachel Zegler also generated headlines after criticizing elements of the original film and making politically charged comments on social media. Those statements sparked backlash among some audiences and added to the controversy surrounding the project.
Disney has not publicly commented on the reported financial performance.
