Set to premiere on March 21, 2025, Disney’s Snow White is the latest project in the company’s years-long endeavor to adapt their animated films into live-action, and based on its predecessors, this is how it will do on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether you are a Disney fan or not, it is nearly impossible to be unfamiliar with the story of Snow White. Released as Disney’s first-ever animated feature film in 1937, the film follows a young maiden named Snow White who is oppressed by her jealous step-mother. When her life comes into danger, Snow White finds solace with seven kind dwarves.

Disney’s Snow White is a particularly interesting case among Disney’s live-action adaptations because of its history and its current controversies. Historically, Snow White is considered a Disney classic, and the movie that really put the studio on the map as a frontrunner in animation. This means viewers will be excited about it, but will also have high expectations. Plus, in the months leading up to Disney’s Snow White, various missteps have put a bad taste in audiences’ mouths. Therefore, it will take significant consideration to figure out how exactly Disney’s Snow White will perform for critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Disney’s Original Snow White Rotten Tomatoes Score Explained

Snow White Is A Classic, But It Isn’t Timeless

A good place to start when estimating the Rotten Tomatoes score of Disney’s Snow White is by looking at the scores of the original 1937 Snow White. Officially тιтled Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the film has a Certified Fresh 97% critics score alongside a 78% audience score. Clearly, these are very strong scores that point towards Snow White’s quality and its impact. Critics have praised Snow White for its charming characters, catchy tunes, and heartwarming story. Meanwhile, audiences have a clear nostalgia for the film that has lasted decades. Undoubtedly, Snow White made an ineffable impact on cinema.

Of course, being an important film doesn’t make Snow White invincible. Critics clearly respect the movie with their 97% score, but audiences aren’t quite as convinced at 78%. Many viewers have pointed out that Snow White’s story is quite simplistic, and certain elements are underdeveloped, such as Snow White’s romance with the Prince. Furthermore, Snow White herself lacks a strong sense of self, which makes her feel flat compared to other Disney princesses. Plus, Snow White may have put Disney on the map, but the company has clearly surpᴀssed the quality that they began with in Snow White.

Ultimately, the average Rotten Tomatoes score of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, when combining the critics score with the audience score, is about 87%. This is still a fantastic score, and respects the effect Snow White had on Disney and the future of animation, but it also takes into account the film’s more obvious setbacks in terms of story and character. If anything, this is the score that Disney’s Snow White should be reaching for, though it may not actually achieve this.

The History Of Disney’s Live-Action Remakes On Rotten Tomatoes

Disney Princesses Have Done Better Than Other Remakes

Another element to consider when predicting Disney’s Snow White’s Rotten Tomatoes performance is how other Disney live-action movies have done with critics. Although Disney has been on quite a roll with its live-action remakes in the past few years, the trend actually started earlier than some might think, with 1994’s The Jungle Book. This movie did well, earning an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, but live-action adaptations didn’t really pick up speed until the release of 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, which had critics split, but raked in an impressive $1 billion at the box office.

Since then, Disney has put out numerous live-action remakes, ranging from direct remakes like 2015’s Cinderella to spinoffs like 2024’s Mufasa: The Lion King. These films, regardless of format and accuracy, have varied greatly in terms of success rate. Altogether, the average Rotten Tomatoes critics score of Disney’s live-action adaptations sits at a 57%, which is very much average. Based on this statistic, Disney’s Snow White could fall anywhere on the spectrum, but is more likely to earn a mediocre score similar to the average.

One silver lining for Disney’s Snow White is that, historically, Disney’s princess movies have done a bit better than other remakes. Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast both scored above 70%, while The Little Mermaid came close with a 67%. For the most part, these films stuck to their source material quite closely, which could be the trick for doing well with critics. Of course, these scores are far from a guarantee though, as 2020’s Mulan made significant changes to the original story, yet came out with a 72% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Disney’s Live-Action Snow White Changing The Animated Movie Could Be Controversial

Snow White’s Other Controversies Explained

In terms of accuracy to the source material, Disney’s Snow White may find itself in some trouble. Some past live-action adaptations have introduced too many changes to the original story, which upset audiences and made critics dislike the film. Even if these changes seem good and reflect the values of modern society, they may take away from the nostalgia of the story, making the movie feel too different. Already, Disney’s Snow White has set itself apart with its premise, which implies that Snow White isn’t just escaping her step-mother’s cruelty, but is attempting to overthrow her rule.

Disney’s Snow White is also put at a disadvantage due to controversies outside the actual content of the film. For example, the movie’s lead actress, Rachel Zegler, came under fire in 2022 for her comments about the Snow White character, who she claimed needed to be updated to be more independent. Disney also received backlash for its use of CGI to create the dwarf characters, only one of whom actually has dwarfism. More recently, Disney’s Snow White has earned attention due to the conflicting beliefs of Zegler and her co-star Gal Gadot on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Final Verdict: Snow White’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Will Be 65%

Disney’s Snow White Can Overcome Its Bad Press

Disney’s Snow White will earn a 65% on Rotten Tomatoes. With Snow White and the Seven Dwarves earning an average of 87%, and Disney’s live-action adaptations earning a 57%, this results in a 72%. However, with the addition of Disney’s Snow White’s controversies, specifically the CGI, the score will likely be lower. A good comparison could be 2023’s The Little Mermaid, which faced backlash for the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel, but eventually went on to receive a fairly strong Rotten Tomatoes score of 67%. If the quality is there, Disney’s Snow White can do the same.

It is true that Disney’s Snow White has faced several hurdles over the course of its development, which may keep audiences away from the film. However, based on the movie’s trailer and first-look material, it seems like it will still be a colorful and magical movie that honors the original Snow White story. Those who do see the movie may find themselves entranced with the live-action world Disney has created, making all the backlash fade into the background. Hopefully, Disney’s Snow White can succeed against all odds.