Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Loses $170 Million After Budget Blows Up

reddit/@entertainment

Disney’s live-action adaptation of Snow White has resulted in the studio losing $170 million after its production expenses exceeded the initial budget. The financial disaster occurred because of production challenges and the unfavorable audience response to the film’s theatrical release.

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The news of the massive loss has ignited fresh discussion about the film’s many public struggles. The project suffered from ongoing technical difficulties which resulted in casting disputes and visual effects problems throughout its development. The online discussions about the actor Peter Dinklage have returned to his 2022 comments which many people believe started the series of creative choices that led to the film’s failure.

“Disney did not answer by not casting little people because Disney had already decided before his comments to go for CGI in 2021,” argued one user who tried to clarify the timeline. Another pushed back by stating “Disney reacted to Dinklages’ comments and worked with consulting people… The CGI was a bandaid on an already bled out production.” This back-and-forth highlights the lingering confusion over what exactly led to the film’s infamous CGI dwarfs which were widely mocked in trailers.

Many viewers found the film’s aesthetic unappealing beyond the dwarf controversy. “All the digital characters looked bad to downright creepy in the trailers,” noted one commenter. Another viewer claimed the previews presented “very unpleasant to look at” which indicated that the marketing itself might have discouraged potential viewers from watching.

The discussion often turned to broader criticism of Disney’s modern strategy. “Snow White is an especially egregious one,” wrote one user who wanted to compare today’s remake culture with the original 1937 film which took creative risks. “Now they’re so afraid of risking anything that they raise their old films from the dead and beat them with a stick.” Others pointed out that Disney maintains its financial success because of popular films despite this high-profile project failing. For instance, the studio’s Avatar franchise continues to be a major draw.

Some frustration was reserved for specific creative choices like Snow White’s iconic costume. “It still makes me mad that her dress looks so bad,” one person lamented after she compared it to outfits in other adaptations. For many this detail symbolized a larger lack of care. The actress Gal Gadot, who played the Evil Queen, has even expressed interest in returning to the role.

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The audience shows strong interest in Disney’s legacy while they criticize how the company currently operates its business. The $170 million loss is a concrete number attached to a film that became a focal point for wider discontent. The studio will now look to its upcoming slate to move past this expensive stumble, including projects like the anticipated Freakier Friday sequel. In a different charitable effort, filmmaker Taika Waititi recently directed a holiday short for the studio.