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“Did Disney originally expect huge box office numbers for Snow White when the movie was announced to be made in 2019?”
Disney’s Initial Expectations for the Live-Action Snow White (2019)
Announcement and Remake Strategy in 2019
Disney’s intent to remake Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was first confirmed in 2016, but the project gained momentum in 2019 as part of the studio’s live-action remake boom . By May 2019, Disney had director Marc Webb (of The Amazing Spider-Man fame) in talks, and he was officially announced by September 2019 . The film was envisioned as a theatrical tentpole release – not a streaming project – aligning with Disney’s strategy of reimagining animated classics for the big screen. Executives slated production to begin in 2020 (before COVID-19 delays) , signaling that Snow White was a priority in the post-Aladdin and Lion King pipeline. This timing positioned Snow White as a flagship entry in Disney’s ongoing remake slate, not a niche experiment.
Riding the Wave of Billion-Dollar Remakes
Disney had strong reasons to expect Snow White to be a major theatrical success. The few years prior saw several live-action remakes turn into box-office juggernauts. Beauty and the Beast (2017) grossed a colossal $1.263 billion worldwide , and Aladdin (2019) likewise soared past the $1 billion mark – outcomes that proved audiences would flock to lavish re-stagings of beloved Disney musicals. In fact, 2019’s The Lion King (another remake) became one of the highest-grossing films ever with well over $1.5B globally (though it was virtually an animated CG remake). Coming off these successes, Snow White – as Disney’s original princess story – was expected to “stomp the competition” at the box office . Industry observers in 2019 speculated that a property as iconic as Snow White could follow the pattern of Beauty and Aladdin, which had been among their year’s top earners. The remake formula was clearly working for Disney, so anticipation was high that Snow White would become the next family blockbuster in line.
Disney’s Expectations and Positioning
Internally, Disney treated Snow White as a key piece of its live-action remake strategy, which by 2019 had become a lucrative enterprise. The studio’s leadership emphasized how revisiting classics attracted broad, multi-generational audiences and boosted Disney’s broader businesses (merchandise, theme parks, Disney+ content) in tandem . Even if some remakes drew mixed reviews, they reliably drew big crowds – as Reuters noted, these films “tend to perform quite well at the box office” despite lukewarm critical enthusiasm . Disney was riding a record-breaking box office year in 2019 (with seven releases surpassing $1B globally), and Snow White was positioned to continue that streak. With the company pouring substantial resources into the project – reportedly over $200 million in budget, a level usually reserved for tentpole franchises – it’s clear Disney expected a significant return on investment. Simply put, Snow White was never intended as a modest release; it was banked on as a major theatrical event that could replicate the commercial magic of its remake predecessors.
Disney’s live-action Snow White (portrayed by Rachel Zegler) with the Seven Dwarfs. As the remake of Walt Disney’s 1937 animated classic, the film was envisioned as a big-budget musical fantasy aimed at today’s audiences.
Creative Team and Ambitions
From the outset, Disney assembled an A-list creative team for Snow White, signaling high ambitions for the film’s quality and appeal. Marc Webb was hired to direct, bringing experience in both character-driven drama (500 Days of Summer) and large-scale spectacle (Marvel’s Spider-Man) . The songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – known for hit musicals (La La Land, The Greatest Showman) – were commissioned to write new songs for Snow White . (Pasek & Paul had just contributed music to 2019’s Aladdin, so their involvement bridged the remake successes.) This indicated Disney’s intent to make Snow White a full-fledged musical extravaganza, much like Beauty and the Beast, rather than a straightforward retelling. Longtime Disney collaborator Marc Platt was on board as a producer (he previously produced Mary Poppins Returns and Into the Woods), underscoring the studio’s confidence in the film as a prestige project. Even before casting, the creative choices suggested Disney was targeting the broad family audience that had embraced prior live-action musicals – blending nostalgia for older fans with fresh elements for new generations.
Casting Choices and Target Audience
When casting news eventually broke (slightly after 2019, but stemming from the film’s development goals), it further reflected Disney’s big aspirations and inclusive target audience. In June 2021, the relatively unknown Rachel Zegler (then 20 years old) was cast as Snow White, just before her breakout in West Side Story. Director Marc Webb praised Zegler’s “strength, intelligence and optimism” as integral to “rediscovering the joy” in the classic fairy tale . Choosing a young Latina actress with powerhouse vocals signaled Disney’s aim to update Snow White for a modern, diverse audience while still honoring its princess legacy. Meanwhile, Disney tapped Gal Gadot – an internationally famous actress from Wonder Woman – to play the Evil Queen, bringing star power and adult audience appeal to the project . Gadot’s excitement about “stepping into the shoes and crown” of this iconic villainess underscored the film’s event status. These casting decisions indicated that Disney was courting all quadrants: children and families (with a youthful new princess to root for), nostalgia-driven viewers (with a story they grew up on), and even global action-fantasy fans (with Gadot’s draw). In short, everything about the early announcements – from creative team to casting buzz – pointed to Disney positioning Snow White as a major theatrical tentpole with broad appeal, on par with its billion-dollar remake predecessors.
Early Media Speculation and Forecasts (2019–2020)
When Snow White was announced, media outlets and industry analysts largely assumed it would be another huge hit for Disney, barring any unforeseen issues. The studio’s live-action remake track record through 2019 made it “the fairest of them all” in box office terms – hence expectations for Snow White were optimistic. Some commentary did note potential challenges, such as Snow White coming after other studios’ versions of the tale (2012’s Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman). But Disney’s Snow White had the advantage of the trusted Disney brand and the musical formula that had just propelled Aladdin and The Lion King to enormous success. Early on, observers mused that a “beloved Disney property like ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ is supposed to stomp the competition” – in other words, anything short of dominating the box office would be surprising. While Disney did not publicly release a numeric target, the internal and external narrative in 2019 cast Snow White as a film with billion-dollar potential. In investor circles, Disney’s pipeline of remakes (including Mulan, The Little Mermaid, and Snow White) was cited as a reliable growth driver, given the past performance of similar titles. The general sentiment was that Snow White would be one of Disney’s marquee theatrical releases in the coming years, expected to draw massive crowds as the next live-action chapter of a timeless fairy tale.
Conclusion
In summary, when the live-action Snow White was first being unveiled in 2019, Disney undoubtedly expected it to be a major theatrical success. The project was launched on the heels of multiple $1B-plus hits from the same remake strategy, and Disney approached it with commensurate scale and confidence. From the high-profile creative talent and considerable budget, to the deliberate positioning alongside films like Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Aladdin (2019), every sign pointed to Disney viewing Snow White as a potential blockbuster meant to enchant global audiences. As one report later quipped, a classic IP like Snow White was “supposed to” be a surefire hit – highlighting just how high the expectations were at the outset.
Sources:
• Walt Disney Company – Snow White project development timeline
• Cinemark News – Snow White production details & creative team
• Beauty and the Beast (2017) box office – $1.263B worldwide
• Aladdin (2019) box office – $1.05B worldwide
• Reuters – Disney’s remake strategy and Snow White budget context
• Hollywood in Toto – commentary on Snow White and past remake performance
• PEOPLE – casting announcements (Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot) and director quotes
