Disney’s Snow White lost $170 MILLION, is fifth-lowest grossing live-action remake from studio

On opening weekend, it brought in just $87.3 million, 13 percent less than forecasted, and brought in $205.7 million overall. This makes it the fifth-lowest grossing of Disney’s 21 live action releases, coming in ahead of Mulan, 102 Dalmations, Chrisopher Robin, and the 1994 release of The Jungle Book.

Forbes noted that for films made in the US, the cost to get them to screens is typically "a closely-guarded secret" and filings usually combine all spending and don’t break down the costs individually. However, Snow White was filmed in the UK, where studios can receive a 25.5 percent reimbursement from the government’s Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit. To receive the credit, studios must show that at least 10 percent of the core costs of production related to activities within the UK, requiring in-depth financial statements.

The UK government brought the movie’s costs down to $271.6 million after a $64.9 million reimbursement, per a December 2024 financial filing seen by the outlet. From box office funds, which tend to be split around 50-50 between theaters and studios, Disney is estimated to have brought in just $102.9 million, meaning the movie lost $168.7 million at the box office on the deducted $271.6 million.

The outlet noted that studios also make a profit on items such as DVD and Blu-ray sales, as well as merchandising, but that there are other production costs, such as marketing, that are not shown on the UK filings. "This makes it less likely that Snow White turned a profit though it casts a cloud of uncertainty over its actual bottom line," the outlet wrote.