How Much Disney's Snow White Box Office Needs To Make Just To Break Even

Unfortunately for Disney, it will take much more than a smile and a song to make 2025's "Snow White" a lucrative endeavor. The upcoming live-action remake of the studio's inaugural animated feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," has experienced rough bumps on its way to the big screen, which upped its production costs by quite a bit. 

A financial report released by Forbes revealed that "Snow White" has a production budget of $209.3 million. The massive cost is attributed to several delays brought on by unfortunate occurrences such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a fire at London's Pinewood Studios, where filming primarily took place. Shooting in the United Kingdom allowed the team to take advantage of the tax relief policy, granting them a 25% reimbursement of any money spent. As a result, Disney will recoup $41.1 million, making its net costs come out to $168.2 million. 

However, theaters have to be pretty packed for Disney to turn a profit. This is due to rental fees that studios pay movie theaters for playing their films. While percentages vary depending on territory, box office gross, and written agreements, it's common for theaters to take roughly 50% of box office earnings. With this in mind, "Snow White" must bring in $336.4 million to break even on its baseline expenses alone. This doesn't include added spending brought on by the post-production and visual effects work, as well as further marketing costs. But while past Disney live-action remakes were practically gift-wrapped for such success, "Snow White" might be humming a different tune. 

Disney's live-action adaptations of its animated classics might be falling out of favor with audiences, which could spell bad news for the studio's upcoming "Snow White." This is most evident in 2023's "The Little Mermaid," which did not have the same legs at the box office as some of its predecessors. 

The Halle Bailey-starring remake managed to bring in over $569 million worldwide. It's far from a failure, but it's notable how the film flounders in comparison to such remakes as "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," and "Aladdin," all of which broke the $1 billion mark globally. "The Little Mermaid" only brought in $68.3 million internationally during its opening weekend, a surprisingly low sum for such a well-known Disney property. 

"Snow White" unfortunately comes with its fair share of controversial baggage. The casting of Rachel Zegler as the titular heroine infuriated fans, as did Zegler's remarks on the original film's dated aspects. Similarly, the film's depiction of the seven dwarfs has birthed a similar debate from actors such as Peter Dinklage and Jason "Wee Man" Acuña. Add that the original "Snow White," while a classic, doesn't have the same nostalgic value for modern audiences that "The Lion King" or "Aladdin" does, and it gives the remake an uphill battle to fight.