Disney’s Snow White PR Crisis Proves the Magic is Fading

Let's talk about a brand so iconic that even its flops make headlines: Disney. And their latest live-action remake, Snow White, was quite the flop.

What was supposed to be a nostalgic, billion-dollar reimagining turned into one of the messiest PR disasters we've seen from Disney in a while. Underwhelming promos, controversial casting, a side of political firestorms, and some truly baffling creative choices and the result? A $250 million project that completely fizzled at the box office and left Disney scrambling for damage control.

The Marketing Miss

The first red flag was that Disney barely marketed Snow White, spending just $6.8M on TV ads. Compared to The Little Mermaid's $19.9M and Mufasa's $22.8M, it felt like they were quietly bracing for impact instead of hyping audiences up for a blockbuster hit.

It seems as though Disney is slowly learning a hard lesson that we viewers learned about three or four live-action movies ago – they just aren't that good. According to a February survey from MX8 Labs and The Measure, 57% of respondents believe live-action remakes are just cash grabs, and 55% agree that they are "just not as good as the originals."

Regardless, the lack of advertising raised questions among fans and industry experts about Disney's confidence in the project.

The Backlash Spiral & The CGI Nobody Asked For

The casting of Rachel Zegler, an actress of Colombian and Polish descent, as Snow White sparked backlash from some audiences who felt her appearance didn't align with their image of the classic character, as described in the original Brothers Grimm fairytale, as having "skin as white as snow." The character's name will be explained in the story, rather than being based on her skin color, due to her experience of surviving a snowstorm as a child.

In my opinion, since these are fairytales, I don't really care about the color of the main character's skin as long as the story itself is played out well. Truthfully, Snow White isn't my favorite Disney movie, but I was hopeful they would follow the same blueprint as Cinderella, Beauty & The Beast, and The Little Mermaid – follow the story, add a little bit of updates, show off your CGI (or lack thereof), and boom a hit. But, alas, that is not what we got.

Zegler's comments, criticizing the original 1937 film for its "dated" portrayal of women and labeling the Prince as a "stalker," further fueled the negative firestorm surrounding this film before it even hit theaters. It also didn't bode well for the original storyline, if this was the direction the new storyline was taking, Zegler and Disney (whether they liked it or not) were already alienating OG fans.

This kind of commentary leans into an outdated version of feminism—one that suggests the only way for a woman to be strong is to reject love, partnership, or anything traditionally seen as “soft.” But the truth is, love isn’t weakness, and kindness doesn’t cancel out power. In fact, Disney itself nailed this message in its live-action Cinderella, arguably the best remake they've done to date. That film was rooted in the idea that kindness and love are what give you courage and strength, not what takes it away.

It’s a shame that Snow White didn’t follow a similar path. I don’t know if Disney—and Rachel Zegler—need to go back and rewatch Cinderella, but they clearly missed the memo. Instead of embracing the power of emotional depth and nuance, Zegler’s commentary came off as crass and dismissive, not just toward the original film but also toward her co-star, Andrew Burnap, who she referred to as playing the “stalker” Prince.

Additionally, her August 2024 social media post promoting the film alongside a political statement ("and always remember, free Palestine") caused outrage within Disney and led to heightened security measures due to death threats against her and her co-star Gal Gadot.

Disney's decision to replace the iconic seven dwarves with CGI "magical creatures" instead of casting actors with dwarfism drew criticism from both fans and members of the dwarfism community, and rightfully so. This choice undermined job opportunities for actors with dwarfism while failing to capture the charm of the original characters. The CGI Dwarves are ... bad. Throughout the movie, viewers noted that it was "visually unappealing" and "distracting" ... yikes.

Brutal Reviews & Box Office Bomb

The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics, and it currently holds one of the lowest Rotten Tomatoes scores at 40% for Critics and 72% for Audiences. Reviewers described it as "charmless," "uninspired," and "exhaustingly awful," with performances by Zegler and Gadot deemed dull. Plus, the visual effects and overall storytelling were criticized for lacking the magic associated wth Disney classics.

IMDb doesn't tell a different story either, with a 1.5/10 rating, which shockingly isn't the lowest rating. Metacritic comes in at 51%.

In addition to disappointing reviews, Snow White debuted with a tragic $43M domestically, far below initial projections of $85M. Its second weekend saw a steep 66% drop to $14.2M, signaling poor audience retention. On a global scale, it grossed only $87M in its opening weekend despite a production budget of approx. $250M (ouch). Which places it among Disney's worst-performing live-action remakes, including Dumbo and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

What the Disney Snow White PR Crisis Reveals About Brand Integrity

This wasn't just a bad movie (although let's be honest, it was a bad movie), it was a branding breakdown. Disney's handling of controversies surrounding the film exacerbated its struggles. The studio opted for a low-key premiere event with limited press access to avoid difficult questions about casting decisions and rogue political statements. This move was seen by many as an attempt to sidestep accountability rather than address concerns directly.

Disney's live-action Snow White will serve as a cautionary tale for how marketing missteps, controversial creative choices, and poor crisis management can derail even a high-budget production from a major studio. The muted promotional campaign failed to generate excitement, while controversies surrounding casting, political statements, and creative decisions alienated key audience segments. Combined with lackluster reviews and poor box office performance, Snow White stands as one of Disney's most notable failures in recent years. Let this be a stark reminder that modernizing beloved classics requires careful balance between innovation and respect for the original material.

So, What Happened To The Magic of The Disney Brand

Disney isn’t just a studio. It’s a legacy brand—one that built its empire on timeless storytelling, emotional connection, and an unwavering commitment to creating wonder. Love or hate the mouse, Disney has long been the gold standard for family-friendly content that transcends generations.

But Snow White? It wasn’t just a flop. It was the moment everything caught up to them.

As a lifelong Disney fan, I’ve been more forgiving than I probably should’ve been. A rough sequel here, an underwhelming remake there—it happens. Not every project can be a hit, right?

But this felt different. This felt like the final straw, at least for me.

What was once magical now feels manufactured. These live-action films don’t read as reimaginings. They read as reheated leftovers and cash grabs without heart. There’s no innovation, no creativity, no spark. And when you pair that with a cast seemingly at odds with the very story they’re telling, it’s no wonder audiences felt disconnected.

Truthfully, some of the backlash might’ve been forgivable if the movie had been groundbreaking. If it had surprised us. If it had captured even a glimmer of the Disney magic we grew up with. But it didn’t.

And let’s be honest, this isn’t an isolated case. From the bloated MCU to the lifeless continuation of Star Wars, it feels like Disney is stuck in a loop of over-leveraging beloved IPs until they’re hollow shells of what they once were. The magic is fading, and the audience is starting to notice.

Snow White wasn’t just a misstep—it was a branding breakdown. A warning sign. A reminder that nostalgia only goes so far when the substance isn’t there to back it up.

Because when your entire brand is built on believing in magic, you can’t afford to lose the very thing that made people believe in you in the first place.