The live-action Snow White is Disney’s most divisive remake yet. Based on the 1937 classic, the remake is intended to celebrate Disney’s first animated movie by reintroducing it in a new medium. Rachel Zegler stars as Snow White, alongside Gal Gadot (The Queen), Ansu Kabia (The Huntsman), and Andrew Burnap (Jonathan). With a reported budget of around $200-250 million, Disney expected great returns from the movie, but Snow White proved to be extremely controversial in light of issues like the cast and characters.
Now, on Rotten Tomatoes, the reception for the new Snow White movie is divided. The movie has been panned by critics and sits at a disappointing 44% score on the Tomatometer. However, audiences have been considerably more favorable, which led to a 71% Popcornmeter score. These totals are likely to change as the theatrical run continues, but the 27% difference is stark.
What The Divisive Score Means For Snow White
Neither Score Is Exceptional
Disney’s live-action remakes have endured controversy in the past, but Snow White saw criticism over its basic premise. Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage argued that the movie was “backwards” in its depiction of people with dwarfism, sparking months of arguments and controversy. Additionally, Zegler’s casting has earned criticism since she is half-Colombian and half-Polish, which many unfairly argued was not conducive to the original story. The star also criticized the original movie, due to Snow White’s pᴀssive role, drawing even more complaints.
Snow White would need to earn over $500 million to achieve success.
These critiques have had an impact, as the movie is facing review bombing. The 71% Popcornmeter score only accounts for verified viewers. Among all viewers, it has a 22% score with an average rating of 1.6 out of 5. Despite the review bombing, that rating aligns more closely with critics, who panned the CGI, performances, and lifeless setting. So far, the movie is projecting a $45 million debut opening, which is miles away from looking at a potential box office success.
These are far from the worst results for a Disney live-action remake. Pinocchio (2022) and Alice: Through the Looking Glᴀss (2016) earned a 27% and 29% score, respectively. Compared to those results, the reception is far better for Snow White, but it doesn’t reach the levels of The Jungle Book (2016) and Cinderella (2015), which have 93% and 84%, respectively. Nevertheless, it ultimately comes down to how audiences respond to the movie. This is possible, with Mufasa being a prime example of the longevity game. After a lackluster $35 million debut movie, the Lion King prequel became a mᴀssive box office success at over $710 million after over two months in theaters.
Our Take On Snow White’s Rotten Tomato Scores
This Was Somewhat Inevitable
Image via Disney
Unfortunately, aside from the review bombers, these responses may very well be fair. Some of Disney’s live-action remakes have proved to be incredibly exciting, but Snow White was nothing more than an unnecessary adaptation. Even while praising Zegler’s performance, ScreenRant‘s Rachel Labonte called it “anticlimactic and a touch too saccharine.” It had an unnecessarily high budget and reportedly had significant reshoots. These factors only spell trouble for the movie, but it’s too soon to tell if the more positive reception from audiences could be the saving grace for the remake.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
