Disney (and others) at the Box Office - Current State of Affairs

[Casper Gutman]

The comp for live-action Snow White would be live-action Cinderella, which made $542 million a decade ago.

That's probably around what Disney was expecting when this was first green lit.

A Snow White remake is a significantly harder sell then a Cinderella remake.

Cinderella is a product of a mature studio operating in the 50s, reflecting cinematic conventions that would be much more familiar to modern viewers then those found in a film from 1937. I love Snow White, it’s probably my favorite classic Disney animated film, but more than any other classic Disney animated film (with the exception of the Good Neighbor pictures) you need an understanding of its historical and industrial context to appreciate it.

 

[Farerb]

The comp for live-action Snow White would be live-action Cinderella, which made $542 million a decade ago.

That's probably around what Disney was expecting when this was first green lit.

Which means $728 million today.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I don’t think a lot of folks in this thread are particularly familiar with the animated Snow White.

 

[Farerb]

I agree that $500-600 million would be the ideal scenario for Snow White.

I LOVE the animated original, but in a post-Shrek cynical world most audiences would have a hard time buying an extremely faithful adaptation of the 1937 film. The movie started a lot of Disney tropes that have now become the subject of parody almost a century later.

But the problem is, a revisionist feminist version of Snow White in live action was already done in 2012 with Snow White and the Huntsman. Add in Mirror Mirror coming out that same year, and it seems like general audiences already got their fill of a live action version of this particular fairly tale.

I agree. And it seems that this remake is going to mush all those versions together.

I think the perfect time for a Snow White remake was probably 10 years ago but I have a feeling Disney didn't want to do it in order to not outshine Once Upon a Time which still aired back then.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

A Snow White remake is a significantly harder sell then a Cinderella remake.

Cinderella is a product of a mature studio operating in the 50s, reflecting cinematic conventions that would be much more familiar to modern viewers then those found in a film from 1937. I love Snow White, it’s probably my favorite classic Disney animated film, but more than any other classic Disney animated film (with the exception of the Good Neighbor pictures) you need an understanding of its historical and industrial context to appreciate it.

This ignores decades of strong theatrical and home video releases, Snow White's inclusion in the Disney Princess brand, Grumpy t-shirts and coffee mugs and how people pay a premium to get on the Seven Dwarfs coaster because the lines are so long.

Disney's Snow White has always been popular. Snow White and the Huntsman did well relative to its budget. No reason to think the initial concept for a Snow White live-action remake (prior to any casting or creative choices) would do worse than the likes of 2019 Dumbo. If it really was a tough sell, they wouldn't have bothered to do it.

Of course you need context to fully understand how much of a technical and cinematic achievement the original movie was, but Snow White's music, characters and iconography have never totally fallen out of fashion.

 

[Chi84]

This ignores decades of strong theatrical and home video releases, Snow White's inclusion in the Disney Princess brand, Grumpy t-shirts and coffee mugs and how people pay a premium to get on the Seven Dwarfs coaster because the lines are so long.

Disney's Snow White has always been popular. Snow White and the Huntsman did well relative to its budget. No reason to think the initial concept for a Snow White live-action remake (prior to any casting or creative choices) would do worse than the likes of 2019 Dumbo.

Of course you need context to fully understand how much of a technical and cinematic achievement the original movie was, but Snow White's music, characters and iconography have never totally fallen out of fashion.

The idea of Snow White has never fallen out of fashion. Its iconic status is based on its technical and cinematic achievement for its time.

But the actual movie is too dated and its material too problematic for a faithful live-action remake.

This movie is presumably directed toward a younger, female audience. I don’t know if anyone made Zegler watch it but if so her comments would represent the reaction of that demographic to the original movie.

 

[DKampy]

Snow White was historically significant but in no way shape or form is ideal for modern audiences. I doubt there have ever been a significant number of folks who are interested in this even before all the whiners came out of the woodwork.

and those crybabies go after easy targets… Disney is public enemy #1 among the ragers…. It was obvious to anyone Snow White would never join the billion dollar club… I am sure even Disney….all to fit their narrative that their feelings are on the correct side

 

[Farerb]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs wasn't only revolutionary in animation, but in music as well. Many consider it the first time songs and music were used as a storytelling device, something that was done later in Wizard of Oz and then in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals.

 

[Casper Gutman]

This ignores decades of strong theatrical and home video releases, Snow White's inclusion in the Disney Princess brand, Grumpy t-shirts and coffee mugs and how people pay a premium to get on the Seven Dwarfs coaster because the lines are so long.

Disney's Snow White has always been popular. Snow White and the Huntsman did well relative to its budget. No reason to think the initial concept for a Snow White live-action remake (prior to any casting or creative choices) would do worse than the likes of 2019 Dumbo.

Of course you need context to fully understand how much of a technical and cinematic achievement the original movie was, but Snow White's music, characters and iconography have never totally fallen out of fashion.

Snow White has survived as a BRAND separate from the film itself, yes, although even there she’s not one of the more popular princesses.

When I discuss the historical context, I’m not talking about the usual Disney talking point of SW as an artistic innovation, something that is true but doesn’t alter the actual content of the film. The actual film Snow White feels like something from an era with entirely different expectations and understandings in a way something like Casablanca doesn’t.

The protagonists of Snow White have no character arc or real agency. Snow herself harkens back to silent film damsels rather than reflecting, say, the willful female leads of the contemporary screwball comedies. Frankly, she acts like a child. The Prince is an utter nonentity. Compare the nonexistent character growth and development of SW and the Prince to that of Gepetto and Pinocchio just a few years later. The only characters who experience meaningful growth are the dwarfs, secondary characters.

The film has few if any, thematic throughlines. Action doesn’t rise and fall in the expected way - there’s a brief set-up, a long series of gags, and a perfunctory conclusion. It’s essentially structured as an extended short.

The film is still a masterpiece, of course, but more then any other Disney film it feels like an artifact from another time.

 

[Casper Gutman]

The idea of Snow White has never fallen out of fashion. Its iconic status is based on its technical and cinematic achievement for its time.

But the actual movie is too dated and its material too problematic for a faithful live-action remake.

This movie is presumably directed toward a younger, female audience. I don’t know if anyone made Zegler watch it but if so her comments would represent the reaction of that demographic to the original movie.

There are images of Zegler dressed up as Snow White as a child which commentators here and across the web have worked hard to ignore because it demonstrates the bad faith of their outrage. She was familiar with the film long before she was cast.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs wasn't only revolutionary in animation, but in music as well. Many consider it the first time songs and music were used as a storytelling device, something that was done later in Wizard of Oz and then in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals.

I’m… not sure what you mean here. Musicals were common in this era, and while some, like the Warner backstage cycle, used musical numbers mainly as spectacle, many like Anything Goes used it as a key story element. Even earlier you had Gilbert and Sullivan, operettas, etc.

 

[MagicMouseFan]

This is an absurd statement that it is difficult to believe is made in good faith.

No it’s it’s not… I’ll stand by it and double down. Something is seriously wrong if a Snow White live action doesn’t do 600 million global.

Here are the box office figures for Mufasa: The Lion King and The Little Mermaid:

Mufasa: The Lion King (Released December 20, 2024)

• Domestic Gross: $221.1 million
• International Gross: $405.6 million
• Worldwide Total: $626.7 million

The Little Mermaid (Released May 26, 2023)

• Domestic Gross: $298.2 million
• International Gross: $271.5 million
• Worldwide Total: $569.6 million

Snow White should land somewhere between.

 

[MagicMouseFan]

I think you are overly optimistic

Soundtrack is solid

 

[MagicMouseFan]

Snow White was historically significant but in no way shape or form is ideal for modern audiences. I doubt there have ever been a significant number of folks who are interested in this even before all the whiners came out of the woodwork.

It’s the main event ride in Disneyworld Fantasy land. Anyone who has gone to fantasyland in DW knows the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

 

[Casper Gutman]

It’s the main event ride in Disneyworld Fantasy land. Anyone who has gone to fantasyland in DW knows the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

When did you last watch the film in it’s entirety, start to finish?

 

[Agent H]

Not surprising at all. We’ve had similar comments here.

I don’t find the comment itself surprising as much as I do infuriating. I’m well acquainted with the YouTube hate network. But what was surprising was this was a perfectly Normal video not made by a grifter and the comments section was full of stuff like that.

 

[easyrowrdw]

It’s the main event ride in Disneyworld Fantasy land. Anyone who has gone to fantasyland in DW knows the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

I agree. Although I haven't been a fan of many of the remakes, the public has generally been receptive to them.

 

[Ghost93]

Cinderella is a product of a mature studio operating in the 50s, reflecting cinematic conventions that would be much more familiar to modern viewers then those found in a film from 1937. I love Snow White, it’s probably my favorite classic Disney animated film, but more than any other classic Disney animated film (with the exception of the Good Neighbor pictures) you need an understanding of its historical and industrial context to appreciate it.

That seems to be the case with a lot of other people, but I don't know why. I was born in the 90s and I LOVED Snow White as a child. It completely captivated me and I enjoyed it much more than Cinderella and the majority of Walt-era Disney films.

Maybe it helps that it was one of the first full-length movies I saw? I found all of the scenes with Snow White and the animals cleaning and the silly antics of the dwarves to be very funny, charming and entertaining as a kid. Maybe older audiences would see a lot of those sequences as pointless filler?

I also still think the Evil Queen is the scariest Disney villain. I hid behind the couch during all the scenes where she was in her hag form.

 

[MagicMouseFan]

When did you last watch the film in its entirety, start to finish?

I’ve ridden seven dwarfs mine train at Disney World with my kids countless times. It’s the “e-ticket”/ centerpiece of fantasy land that constantly has around 45 minute wait.

New Soundtrack for film is solid.

The ride continues the story and keeps the story in the minds of Disney audience.

as far as film, when was the last time I watched Snow White, lion king, mermaid, beauty and the beast, Bambi, Winnie the Pooh? Back when my kids were little.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I’ve ridden seven dwarfs mine train at Disney World with my kids countless times. It’s the “e-ticket”/ centerpiece of fantasy land that constantly has around 45 minute wait.
Soundtrack is solid.

The ride continues the story and keeps the story the minds of Disney audience.

as far as film, when was the last time I watched Snow White l, lion king, mermaid, beauty and the beast, Bambi, Winnie the Pooh? Back when my kids were little.

Thanks for answering.