Disney’s latest foray into live-action remakes, transforming an animated classic into a star-studded spectacle, is set to hit digital download platforms this Tuesday, 13th May.
However, the much-anticipated fantasy adventure has fallen short of expectations, garnering abysmal reviews and being labelled a box office disaster.
The film, featuring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, managed to scrape together just $202.8 million globally, which pales in comparison to its colossal budget estimated between $240–270 million, marking it as one of Disney’s most significant financial disappointments.
Despite its A-list cast, the controversial remake won’t be gracing streaming services like Disney+ just yet, nor will it be included in any subscription packages. Instead, fans eager to watch will have to shell out approximately £19.99 to own or £15.99 to rent what has been dubbed one of the worst major films of the decade thus far.
It will be available on platforms such as Prime Video, Sky Store, Apple TV, and Google TV.
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes handed it a meagre 40 percent score, although general audiences were more forgiving with a 72 percent approval rating. At one point, it even sunk to the lowest-rated movie on IMDb, with some critics branding Snow White as one of the all-time cinematic disasters.
One particularly scathing Google review read: “This film is a disgrace to the original classic-a soulless, uninspired cash grab that lacks charm, heart, or any justification for its existence”, reports the Mirror US.
“What a shame. This movie is garbage.”
Meanwhile, a Reddit user offered a less than stellar assessment: “I’d go with like a 3.5/10. Way too many musical numbers and any not involving Zegler were pretty bad imo.
“That led to not enough dialogue and a really weak plot and character development. The love story was so weak that for a while I was certain they hadn’t even introduced the love interest yet.
“Also the costume design was pretty laughable. The dwarves were really the only redeeming quality imo.”
Gadot, in particular, was called out on social media platform Letterboxd, where a user remarked: “This movie was painfully bad. Gal Gadot made this so unbearable.
“CGI was absolute s***. Don’t [even] get me started on the writing and dialogue. The only positive thing about this film was Rachel.
“Great showing from her but everything else no Bueno. Save yourself the trouble and don’t see this.”
Despite the largely negative reception, there were some who thoroughly enjoyed the remake, with a staunch supporter stating: “The Snow White remake is everything I hoped for in a modern reimagining.
“It maintains the heart of the original story while expanding it with new storylines and beautiful songs.
“In many ways, it feels like a West End or Broadway adaptation – taking the core material and transforming it with fresh ideas, characters, and a more immersive experience.”
With opinions divided, the question remains: will you be hitting play or passing on the controversial Snow White remake this week?
Snow White is available to rent or buy from Tuesday, 13th May on digital platforms.