Disney’s most controversial film to date ended on a bitter note, leaving the House of Mouse with an estimated loss of around $170 million.

According to Forbes, the 2025 live-action adaptation Snow White carried a total production cost of $336.5 million—a staggering figure that far exceeds typical Hollywood budgets and places the film among the most expensive productions in cinema history.

Disney Takes a Heavy Hit
Despite Disney’s massive investment, Snow White turned into a box-office disappointment. The film opened with a global debut weekend of just $87.3 million, falling 13% short of expectations. Its theatrical run ended with a worldwide gross of $205.7 million, ranking it as the fifth-lowest-grossing title among Disney’s 21 live-action remakes.

Forbes reported that Snow White was filmed in the UK, where productions can receive tax rebates of up to 25.5%, provided at least 10% of core production spending is tied to UK-based activities. To qualify, studios establish a local production company responsible for budgeting, filming, post-production, and distribution—requiring full public financial disclosures.

Through these records, it was revealed that by July 31, 2022, Disney had already spent $183.3 million on Snow White, even though principal photography had only just wrapped. By December 31, 2024, total production costs had ballooned to $336.5 million, surpassing the budgets of blockbusters such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the live-action Beauty and the Beast.

After receiving $64.9 million in UK tax rebates, the film’s net production cost was reduced to $271.6 million—still leaving Disney deep in the red.

Film analyst Stephen Follows estimates that theaters retain about 49% of box-office revenue. As a result, Disney likely earned only $102.9 million from ticket sales, translating to an estimated loss of $168.7 million, even before factoring in additional marketing costs not included in the UK filings.

Why Audiences Turned Away
There were multiple reasons audiences distanced themselves from Snow White. From the start of production in 2022, lead actress Rachel Zegler publicly criticized the 1937 animated classic, calling its portrayal of the prince “stalker-like” and describing the original film as “extremely outdated” in its depiction of women. Her remarks quickly sparked backlash and alienated a segment of potential viewers.

Criticism intensified when the first trailer revealed the dwarfs rendered entirely in CGI, which many online users derided as “creepy replicas” of the beloved animated characters. The trailer soon became one of the most disliked videos on YouTube, surpassing one million dislikes.

The controversy escalated further as Zegler continued to post polarizing comments on social media. Reports claimed producer Marc Platt repeatedly urged her to exercise caution and remove inflammatory posts, fearing damage to the film’s image. Despite these efforts, calls to boycott the movie persisted, leaving one of Disney’s biggest 2025 investments struggling in theaters.

Disney Presses On
Despite Snow White’s failure, Disney has not slowed its spending. Forbes noted that Disney’s Q1 2026 earnings showed a 35% drop in operating profit for its entertainment division, down to $1.1 billion, partly due to rising production and content costs.

However, Disney’s confidence was restored by the success of Lilo & Stitch, released shortly after Snow White. The film grossed over $1 billion worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing Disney live-action adaptation ever. Its strong performance helped offset the losses from Snow White and reaffirmed Disney’s belief that live-action remakes still hold major commercial appeal.