Tough sledding for Gal Gadot’s Snow White with ho hum $43 million opening

The Walt Disney Co.’s live-action, controversy-bedeviled “Snow White” opened in theaters with a sleepy $43 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The much-hyped movie, which stars Israeli actress Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, cost more than $250 million, and Disney had hoped it would be a throwback to its very origins. The 1937 original “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was the company’s first animated feature, and paid for its Burbank studio lot.

But this “Snow White” struggled to find anything like a fairy tale ending. The runup to release was plagued by controversies, including a public spat between Gadot and her co-star Rachel Zegler, an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights who played the titular Snow White.

(L-R) Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot speak onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

The film also faced a blizzard of criticism over its handling of the dwarfs, who are rendered in CGI. The PR headaches prompted Disney to pull back on its premiere.

Also working against the film, directed by Marc Webb: poor reviews. Critics were largely not impressed with Disney’s latest live-action remake, with reviews coming in just 43% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes.

Overseas, “Snow White” added $44.3 million for a global launch of $87.3 million. But going into the weekend, “Snow White” had been eyeing a worldwide total closer to $100 million – and a few weeks back, expectations were significantly higher.