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Disney’s much-awaited live-action remake of Snow White arrives in theaters this Friday after decades of drama that have maintained the project in the public eye. The live-action adaptation of the 1937 classic cartoon, directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man), went into production in 2016 with a reported $270 million budget.
A Tumultuous Journey to the Big Screen
From casting decisions to political controversy, Snow White has faced many difficulties throughout its production. Purists criticized the decision to cast Colombian-American actress Rachel Zegler as Snow White, arguing that it deviated too much from the original version of the fairytale princess, while some critics called the casting a step towards “Snow Woke.”
Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who portrays the Evil Queen, was also in the line of fire for criticizing her public endorsement of Israel following the October 7 attacks, prompting boycott calls. In turn, Zegler herself became a point of contention with politically charged social media statements in connection with the 2024 U.S. election and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while further adding fuel to the divide.
In spite of all the controversies, the Los Angeles premiere of the film received a round of applause. Critics have been widely split, though. Some applaud the film as being a visually pleasing remake that regains the charm of the original, while others pan it as an unnecessary remake that is extensively changed and unable to satisfy the purists or contemporary viewers.
Critic Christopher Rates It called Snow White “one of Disney’s best live-action remakes in years,” praising Zegler’s acting. But The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw characterized it as an “exhaustingly awful reboot,” specifically targeting the CGI appearance of the dwarfs and reworking of the plot, including substituting the prince with new character Jonathan.
Box Office Projections
Box office projections for Snow White differ, with estimates ranging between $30 million and $55 million in domestic opening weekend box office receipts. Experts say that even though the movie has been controversial, family-oriented fare has been doing well recently, and the absence of significant competition prior to the onset of the summer season could be advantageous for Disney.
Shawn Robbins, founder of Box Office Theory, admits the film’s uphill climb. “It’s got these tough stories,” he said. “But family films have been doing well, and that could be a plus.”
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