Disney has finally made tickets available for its live-action Snow White remake, just 10 days before its official release on March 21. Thursday previews begin on March 20, but the late push to sell tickets has already raised eyebrows.

The dislike ratio for Disney’s live action Snow White trailer announcing that tickets are being sold as of March 10, 2025 – YouTube, Disney

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Adding to the film’s ongoing troubles, the latest one-minute teaser promoting ticket sales was met with immediate backlash. Within just eight hours, the video received 1.4K likes and 2.1K dislikes, a clear indication of audience sentiment.

A Weak Theatrical Rollout at Disney’s Own Backyard

Perhaps the most telling sign of the movie’s troubled prospects is its lackluster presence at AMC Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida—a theater where Disney traditionally pulls out all the stops for major releases. Normally, for a high-profile Disney film, multiple screens are dedicated to its debut, including both the standard and dine-in theaters. However, an analysis of the Snow White preview and opening night showtimes suggests Disney isn’t expecting a strong turnout.

Showtimes for Snow White at the Disney Springs AMC theater for Thursday previews – AMC

For Thursday previews, the film has only been assigned the Dolby Theater and what appears to be, judging from the showtimes, two standard screens in the main AMC theater. The dine-in theater is relegating it to just one small screen. What’s worse, the showings that have been booked aren’t selling well.

The seats sold for Snow White’s opening in the Disney Springs AMC – AMC

In the image above, captured from the AMC mobile app on March 10, you can see that the 8 pm laser showing of Snow White for March 20 has only 15 seats sold.

Compare this to Captain America: Brave New World, another Disney film expected to struggle at the box office, which still secured multiple screens across both theaters with showings scheduled nearly every hour. The limited rollout for Snow White suggests Disney is keeping expectations low, even in one of its most heavily attended locations.

Rachel Zegler’s Absence from Press Junkets

Adding to the unusual marketing strategy is the conspicuous absence of lead actress Rachel Zegler from any major U.S. press appearances.

With only 10 days to go before release, she has yet to participate in a traditional press junket or engage with the American media in any significant way. Instead, Disney has opted for heavily produced promotional vignettes showing Zegler on a tightly controlled publicity tour in Japan. This suggests an effort to avoid unscripted moments that could reignite the controversy surrounding her previous comments about the original Snow White film and its characters.

Rachel Zegler via Good Morning America YouTube

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In contrast, when Disney has confidence in a film, the lead actors are typically placed front and center in an extensive press campaign, participating in interviews, talk shows, and promotional events to drum up excitement. That’s what they’re doing right now with Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen in Snow White. Disney has Gadot out front and center on shows like Good Morning America where she’s speaking with the (Disney controlled ABC) media.

The decision to limit Zegler’s unscripted interactions speaks volumes about how the studio is approaching this release. It appears Disney is prioritizing damage control over generating genuine hype, likely in response to the backlash she has faced since production details first emerged.

Box Office Projections Look Grim

Industry estimates for Snow White’s opening weekend continue to paint a bleak picture.

Current projections place the film’s debut earnings between $48 million and $58 million, with an average forecast of around $53 million. This would make it one of Disney’s weakest live-action adaptations in recent memory, especially when compared to past hits like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, which soared past $150 million on opening weekend and went on to net over $1 billion each.

Rachel Zegler singing the original song “Waiting on a Wish” from Disney’s Snow White live action remake – YouTube, Disney

If these projections hold, Snow White would fall behind even Disney’s recent underperformers like The Marvels, which struggled to maintain box office momentum. Given that Disney has invested heavily in live-action remakes as a cornerstone of its theatrical strategy, a lackluster performance from Snow White could further erode confidence in the company’s ability to recapture its former magic at the box office.

A Troubled Production from the Start

It’s no secret that Snow White has been a lightning rod for controversy since its inception. The decision to radically alter the portrayal of the Seven Dwarfs, replacing them with a diverse group of characters, drew immediate criticism before they were replaced with seven CGI characters who have been the subject of non-stop mockery since they were revealed.

Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Snow White (2025), Walt Disney Studios

Then came the backlash to Zegler herself. From dismissing the original Snow White as outdated to making remarks about the prince being a problematic character, Zegler’s interviews quickly became fodder for criticism online. Her comments alienated traditional Disney fans, many of whom felt she had little respect for the legacy of the film she was supposed to be leading. This, combined with Zegler’s outspoken political beliefs (sometimes touted while promoting the film) created an uphill battle for Disney long before the movie even had a chance to prove itself.

Disney’s Live-Action Fatigue

The struggles with Snow White tickets are emblematic of a larger issue at Disney—the diminishing returns on live-action remakes.

While earlier efforts like The Jungle Book and Aladdin managed to find success, more recent attempts have not fared as well. The Little Mermaid underperformed majorly, and Pinocchio was a critical disaster that went straight to Disney+ with little fanfare.

Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action THE LITTLE MERMAID. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Audiences have grown increasingly wary of these adaptations, as many feel they fail to bring anything new or meaningful to beloved classics. Instead of capturing the magic of animation in a new way, they often result in soulless CGI-heavy spectacles that lack the charm of the originals.

With Snow White, the combination of drastic creative changes and a leading actress mired in controversy has made the film a particularly hard sell.

What This Means for Snow White

The last-minute ticket sales launch, weak theater presence, lack of traditional media engagement, and lackluster box office projections all point to a film that Disney may already be bracing to underperform. The industry has seen how disastrous pre-release controversy can be, and Snow White is shaping up to be yet another cautionary tale of what happens when a studio misreads its audience.

The dislike ratio for the Snow White trailer as of 02/03/25

With continued audience skepticism and tepid pre-release buzz, Snow White is on track to be one of Disney’s most scrutinized films ever.