From Disney’s 1937 Classic To Kristen Stewart & Chris Hemsworth’s Huntsman Franchise
Rachel Zegler’s highly controversial live-action remake of Snow White is nearing its release as the latest of countless spins on the fairytale. However, the Disney flick has only been creating headlines for negative reasons, and the biggest factor in its success—potential box office performance—is not looking promising.
With Gal Gadot in tow, Snow White certainly has Cinderella’s magical shoes to fill, be it Walt Disney’s 1937 gamble or last decade’s modern spin with Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth. The Brothers Grimm’s German princess has graced cinema screens repeatedly, and here are 8 of the fairest of all Snow Whites at the box office, as per the numbers.
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) – $184-448 million
Indisputably the fairest of them all in quality and success, Walt Disney’s debut is often recognized as a timeless classic. The Numbers lists the flick as likely earning over $184 million unadjusted for inflation across multiple releases, though some sources estimate its haul could be as high as $448 million. Disney’s gamble, which kicked off the studio nine decades ago, forged a long-lasting legacy.
Critics praised its lively animation and admired the screenplay, which showed a princess getting saved by dwarfs—and a prince—from a jealous queen. Rachel Zegler may have dissed this feat, but audiences across time flocked to it, cementing it as the gold standard. The tale of Snow White fleeing a poisoned apple to find love’s kiss stands as Disney’s first feature-length win, a juncture that shifted animation forever.
2. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) – $401 million
Coinciding with the 200th anniversary of the Brothers Grimm’s original publication of Snow White, another iteration tried capitalizing on the substantial market buzz. Adding the Huntsman as a primary character, Universal Pictures’ rendition enlisted a roster of bankable stars such as Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, and Chris Hemsworth to lure moviegoers into cinemas and give their modern adaptation a chance.
According to The Numbers, it yielded $401 million worldwide, with North American screens alone accumulating $155 million. On a $170 million budget, it was the costliest retelling of Snow White until Zegler and director Marc Webb’s forthcoming version proved more expensive. Like that film, Snow White and the Huntsman also experimented with its story to showcase a grittier clash, with Stewart’s Snow White teaming with Hemsworth’s Huntsman to topple Theron’s queen.
3. Mirror Mirror (2012) – $173 million
Julia Roberts and Lily Collins led this lesser-known take that echoed a reception similar to the prospects of Rachel Zegler’s starrer. Collecting $173 million at the worldwide box office and $65 million domestically, Tarsem Singh’s musical could not recover its $100 million budget. To exacerbate the situation, it netted mixed reviews, with both Roberts and Collins failing to ignite the fire its 2012 Universal rival had stirred.
For the uninitiated, The Daily Wire is also bringing a more accurate iteration titled Snow White and the Evil Queen later this year, antagonizing Disney. With Brett Cooper as the Caucasian princess hovering in the background, Zegler finds herself at a juncture not dissimilar to Collins and Kristen Stewart, where only one actress emerged victorious, advancing her trajectory.
4. The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016) – $165 million
This sequel to Hemsworth’s 2012 hit recruited Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain as reinforcements and retained Theron while omitting Stewart’s Snow White. Plagued with negative reviews, it fared poorly, earning only $48 million in the U.S. and Canada and $165 million globally, losing Universal $75 million.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War thus registered as the biggest Snow White flop — one Zegler’s film may unwillingly inherit. Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, the movie’s narrative regarding warring queens and huntsmen lagged, echoing audiences’ sentiments surrounding Zegler’s unorthodox outing.
5. The Seventh Dwarf (2014) – $15.5 million
Known as Der 7bte Zwerg, this animated film brought the Brothers Grimm’s property back to its home country of Germany. The Seventh Dwarf, as the title insinuates, sheds more light on the interpersonal bonds between the dwarfs than its counterparts, borrowing elements from Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Against its $12 million budget, it grossed $15.5 million — a modest, if not impressive, haul. This lively amalgamation of fairy tales found a small crowd and stands as a quirk among Snow White’s spins, far from Zegler’s quest to commandeer a bigger stage.
6. Sydney White (2007) – $13.6 million
Sydney White falls into 2000s lore of reimagining fairy tales, works of Shakespeare, and other classics in high school and college settings, and like most of them, recruits Amanda Bynes to bridge the centuries’ gap by portraying a modern Snow White. Unlike Bynes’ various hits from the zeitgeist — such as Big Fat Liar (The Boy Who Cried Wolf), What a Girl Wants (The Reluctant Debutante), and She’s the Man (Twelfth Night) — Sydney White flopped badly, and Bynes lost most of her star power.
However, the actress did star in another modern retelling in 2010 — Easy A, based on The Scarlet Letter — but settled for a supporting role to Emma Stone’s lead. According to The Numbers, Sydney White only made $13.6 million at the box office. Zegler, having headlined West Side Story, also faces similar prognostications and a higher bar to circumvent succumbing to Bynes’ fate.
7. Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs (2019) – $9.7 million
This aeni, Korea’s counterpart to Japanese anime, decorates Snow White with bits of the eponymous Danish fairytale Red Shoes. The most recent rendition in this lineup of Snow Whites, Sung-ho Hong’s $20 million flick could only accumulate $9.7 million in ticket sales, though it has since found its set of devotees.
8. Blancanieves (2012) – $2.5 million
Pablo Berger’s black-and-white silent Spanish film nods to the 1937 era, blending Snow White and Cinderella for an arthouse project. Submitted as the official Oscars entry by the local film board, Blancanieves could only gross $2.5 million on a $6 million budget, per The Numbers. However, its niche appeal conspicuously stands apart, catering to a designated group of cinephiles rather than kids and families.
Note: Box office estimates are attributed to trade analysts across various sources and are not independently verified by Koimoi.
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