Disney’s Snow White live-action beats Mufasa: The Lion King in Box Office previews: Reports

Snow White has hit the theaters and introduced Rachel Zegler as Disney's beloved princess. In its domestic preview screenings on Thursday, it earned $3.5 million at the box office, according to a report from Variety. With this detail, it stands ahead of Mufasa: The Lion King, another live-action reimagining, in its preview collections. Sources say that the 2024 film earned $3.3 million during its preview screenings. Although higher, Disney's latest film is not too far ahead either.

Directed by Marc Webb, this musical fantasy film is part of a recent trend of live-action remakes of animated classics. It includes Jon Favreau's Lion King, Guy Ritchie's Aladdin, Rob Marshall's The Little Mermaid, and Bill Condon's Beauty and the Beast among a few other projects. However, all these films earned more than Webb's film. Sources say that Condon's film earned $16.3 million while Favreau's film earned $23 million during the preview screenings. So, the financial performance of Disney's latest venture is reportedly disappointing.

It ties in with the number of issues the film has faced in the recent past. Webb's film has gone through a bumpy road up until this release. It was plagued by controversies related to its lead performer's comments. The mixed critical reception from critics may have lowered its chances of success even further.

Snow White reportedly earns higher than Mufasa: The Lion King in the preview screenings

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Snow White is the latest project to be released by Disney. This fairy tale adaptation might have been made, keeping the family audiences in mind. As mentioned before, its preview earnings beat out those of Mufasa: The Lion King. That can be interpreted as a hopeful sign since Mufasa was one of the highest-grossing films from 2024. However, it might be the only optimistic part of these numbers since the film has received less than favorable response from critics and audiences alike.

The Marc Webb directorial currently holds a 46% Rotten Tomatoes rating based on 156 reviews. Its critical consensus reads,

"Snow White is hardly a grumpy time at the movies thanks to Rachel Zegler's luminous star turn, but its bashful treatment of the source material along with some dopey stylistic choices won't make everyone happy, either."

Variety projects that the film will cross the $45 million mark at the domestic box office. It also shares hope about a cumulative global gross of $100 million. However, considering its $250 million+ budget, it will need to be in the theaters for a longer time. That way, it can stand a chance to match the success of Mufasa: The Lion King.