Nothing says “Happy Mother's Day” like a box-office disaster rising from the grave.
This weekend, Disney is tossing Snow White back into theaters on 1,200+ screens—a bold move, considering the live-action remake already flopped harder than a cursed apple. With a domestic gross of just $86 million against a ballooning $270M+ budget, most assumed Disney would quietly sweep this one under the rug. Instead? They're re-gifting it to audiences for Mother's Day, just three days before its digital release.
If that sounds tone-deaf—it is.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: This re-release isn't about celebration. It's damage control disguised as sentiment.
Despite being one of the most beloved IPs in Disney's legacy vault, this 2024 remake of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, couldn't conjure up magic with either critics or fans. IMDb has it languishing at a painful 1.6/10, a rare feat for a Disney production. Sure, review bombing played a role—but it wasn't the only poison in the apple. Audiences pointed to tonal inconsistencies, murky storytelling, and an uncanny valley between modern messaging and a retro fairytale that didn't blend.
So why re-release it now?
The timing—Mother's Day weekend—smells suspiciously like marketing spin. It's a Hail Mary for ticket sales, sure. But it also feels like an attempt to resuscitate the film's reputation by leaning on nostalgia, hoping families will show up just because it's “Disney” and “timely.”
But nostalgia can't fix a broken spell.
Compare this with The Little Mermaid (2023). That reimagining had its own critics but still managed a $298M global box office and relatively warmer reception, thanks to a more coherent vision and star power that didn't backfire. Or look back to Beauty and the Beast (2017)—a re-release and streaming success story that played to audiences' expectations rather than fighting them.
Here's what makes this different: Disney usually learns from its stumbles. This time, it doubled down.
In an era when legacy IP is both a blessing and a curse, Disney's decision to re-release Snow White—so close to its digital launch—highlights a deeper industry pattern: theatrical releases are becoming brand management tools, not just box office plays. Theaters aren't just for profit—they're for positioning.
But is anyone actually buying it?
Would you pay theater prices to rewatch a film that's hitting digital in 72 hours?
Drop your thoughts below—because not even a magic mirror could have predicted this move.
