Snow White: Disney's classic adaptation at the verge of losing $115 million as Rachel Zegler controversy rages

Disney's Snow White seems to have found itself in another financial defeat as the film is on the verge of losing $115 million, following it's ever evolving controversy and criticism surrounding the film's premise and it's lead Rachel Zegler's statements.

According to distribution sources who spoke to Deadline, the film, which debuted on March 21, made just $14.2 million domestically in its second weekend, a 66% decline, for a total global gross of $143.1 million.

The movie is expected to bring in about $295 million overall, according to detailed projections. This includes $101 million from worldwide theater rentals, $62 million from home entertainment sales, $130 million from streaming and broadcast rights, and an extra $2 million from merchandise. The numbers are lower than many prior Disney live-action films, particularly films that centered around Disney Princesses as previously Cinderella earned $132 million and Beauty and the Beast earned $174.8 million in North America alone. Marc Webb's Snow White has seen deterioration on several levels, including a dismal Rotten Tomatoes score, an even more disappointing IMDB score, marking it as one of the lowest rated films on the site.

Production costs for the film alone were $270 million as it was accompanied by additional costs due to strikes and accidents. An additional $140 million was added for the film's promotion and residual payments, and other unlisted expenses. For the film to make up it's production costs, it has to perform extremely well in the coming days. As of now, the film has earned $66.8 million domestically and $143.1 million internationally.

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The reason why Snow White tanked at the Box Office

Much of the film's failure at the box office is accredited to the immense backlash it faced at the hands of fans who pointed out the absurd differences the studio made to the classic story. These included a replacement for the Prince, a new version of Snow White's backstory and her name, and giving the princess a bolder, more woke look. This was joined by controversies surrounding Disney's usage of CGI for the film's seven dwarves, which outraged many fans and actors in the industry who called out the studio's lack of inclusivity.

More controversy followed along with Rachel Zegler's controversial statements on President Donald Trump and her stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict- which led to multiple citizens boycotting the film even before its release. Zegler also faced criticism for her widely disliked opinions on the original classic, which she called out as 'outdated' and labeled the prince in the film as a 'stalker.'

All the wrong ingredients for bad publicity went into this recipe for disaster for Disney, that is proving to be rather financially distressing for the studio.

Snow White is currently available in theaters as more reviews continue to fly in.