Financial data revealed in a report from the UK government, via Fox News on February 13, indicates Disney is estimated to have lost nearly $190 million on the controversial project.
The film, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, carried a massive production budget of approximately $360 million.
This makes “Snow White” one of the most expensive films in Disney’s history, exceeding the production costs of major titles like “Guardians of the Galaxy” or “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Despite the substantial expenditure, Disney received a tax rebate of around $73 million from the UK government, due to a significant portion of filming taking place in the country. With the rebate factored in, Disney’s net production cost totaled approximately $287 million.
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Adegan dalam film live action Disney Snow White (2025). Foto: dok. Disney
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Worldwide, “Snow White” grossed around $230 million. Although, Disney does not retain the full amount, sharing approximately 50% of revenue with theater owners.
This leaves Disney with a net revenue of roughly $115 million. Several factors contributed to the film’s underperformance, according to the report:
Player Controversy: Comments made by Rachel Zegler that were perceived as dismissive of the 1937 animated film sparked negative reactions from dedicated fans.
Story Changes: Disney’s decision to alter iconic elements – initially replacing the Seven Dwarfs with “magical creatures” before reverting to CGI versions – led to increased costs due to reshoots.
Production Issues: A major fire at Pinewood Studios during production added to the financial burden. After accounting for net production costs and theater revenue sharing, Disney recorded a deficit of $190 million.
This figure doesn’t include marketing and advertising costs, which are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions, potentially even billions, of rupiah.
While “Snow White” proved to be a financial disappointment, Disney found some solace in the success of another live-action remake released the same year, “Lilo & Stitch,” which grossed over $1.15 billion.
