The live action remake of Snow White was a highly anticipated film and was supposed to be filled with nostalgia and reminiscence, but it fell very short of it. This movie flopped not only with audiences, but with the box office too, causing Disney to lose large amounts of money. There are a lot of reasons why this movie didn’t do well, from casting choices to changes to the story and how it was marketed. Many OG fans were displeased with this movie, and it didn’t live up to the success of other Disney remakes like Cinderella and The Jungle Book.
One of the biggest reasons for the flop was the controversy around the actress playing Snow White, Rachel Zegler. Unfortunately, comments she made before the release of the movie had fans questioning her love and appreciation for the role. Saying things like the movie was outdated and also calling the story scary, which rubbed fans of Snow White the wrong way. There’s no doubt that there will be people who love and hate the change to story, but it seemed most fans wanted the original feel of Snow White, and not the altered version that was shown. Some fans felt it was disrespecting the original storyline, but others really liked the independent and more modernized version. But, there’s no doubt that fans want the classics to stay true to their original story, and this remake was far from it.
Another reason why critics say this movie wasn’t received well was because of the lack of inspiration and heart. Whenever you think of Disney, magic and nostalgia always come to mind, which this movie seemed to fall short of. This film doesn’t have the same charm, wonder, or magic compared to other successful live action adaptations. A lot of fans are saying that this movie seemed to push a message rather than keeping the magic that a lot of Disney films always convey. It almost feels like this movie is made out of obligation rather than passion and drive. There’s really no sense of love or care in the scenes and characters, which causes the failure to connect with audiences on a deeper level. Overall, this movie lacks warmth and sincerity like most Disney movies, leading to the poor reactions.
There also seems to be a recurring theme with Disney live action remakes. While it’s great to be inclusive, it’s evident that Disney is more concerned with their image rather than creating that inclusive feeling. There was a perfect opportunity for actors with dwarfism, but instead, Disney made the dwarfs with CGI–which was definitely not received well with the audience. If they care so much, why pass up on a great opportunity for these actors to be seen for their talent? Their so-called inclusivity seems more like a marketing strategy than a genuine effort to represent diverse actors. Disney often fails with building meaningful characters or stories around that inclusivity, it comes across as forced and more about looking progressive than actually being it. Cause there’s no doubt, we would love a latina princess story.
Ultimately, Snow White didn’t just miss people’s interest, it failed to replicate the magic of the original film. There will always be love and hate with movies, but it seems this movie just came across as something that was thrown together last minute and made with not much care. Disney may have aimed with progress, but without the nostalgia and storytelling they are known for, the remake felt more like a statement than a celebration.
