Disney’s latest live-action venture, Snow White, was released on March 21, 2025, and while anticipation ran high for the reimagined fairy tale, the film’s journey from production to post-release has been a whirlwind of controversy, critique, and unexpected outcomes. Directed by Marc Webb, with a screenplay penned by Erin Cressida Wilson and Wilhelm Grimm, the movie stars Rachel Zegler as the iconic princess and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Despite the star power and a nearly $270 million budget, Snow White struggled to find its footing both at the box office and in the hearts of critics.
From the outset, Snow White faced an uphill battle. Industry experts and fans alike watched as the film’s production was marked by months of heated debate and public scrutiny. Much of this attention centered on the depiction of the Seven Dwarfs, a beloved aspect of the original animated classic. When the first images and trailers dropped, audiences were quick to notice something was off—and they weren’t alone. Some of the industry’s top visual effects (VFX) artists weighed in, offering a candid critique that would soon go viral.
During a recent appearance on the widely followed Corridor Crew podcast, VFX professionals Niko Pueringer, Sam Gorski, and Jordan Allen dissected what went wrong. Their consensus? The Seven Dwarfs, while technically impressive, landed squarely in the “uncanny valley”—that unsettling zone where digital creations look almost, but not quite, human. Allen summed up the group’s feelings, stating, “They’re technically very good, but they’re aesthetically unpleasant. Like, I can see the quality of the work that’s gone into them. And it’s high-end work where you have all the pores and the hairs and stuff and there’s something just genuinely upsetting or unsettling about seeing a real version of a cartoon. It would be a little less off-putting if we weren’t constantly cutting back to a real person. From a technical standpoint, we are so close to fully bridging that uncanny valley gap.”
The Seven Dwarfs, brought to life through voice and motion-capture performances by Jeremy Swift, Andrew Barth Feldman, Tituss Burgess, Martin Klebba, George Salazar, Andy Grotelueschen, and Jason Kravits, were intended to be a technological marvel. Patrick Page lent his talents as both the voice and motion-capture artist for the Magic Mirror, adding further gravitas to the cast. Yet, the film’s ambitious attempt to blend photorealism with fantasy ultimately left many viewers unsettled, as the VFX experts noted. Their critique echoed a broader sentiment among moviegoers who found the hyper-realistic dwarfs more distracting than delightful.
But the dwarfs weren’t the only challenge Snow White faced. The film’s financial performance was, by Disney standards, a disappointment. Despite an aggressive marketing campaign and the enduring popularity of the source material, Snow White managed to earn only $205.7 million globally—a figure that fell short of recouping its massive production budget. As reported by CBR, this shortfall was unexpected, especially given the film’s pedigree and the studio’s past successes with live-action remakes.
Critical reception was equally lukewarm. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Snow White holds a 38% rating based on over 270 professional reviews, signaling widespread disapproval among critics. The audience, however, was somewhat kinder: over 2,500 user-submitted reviews averaged out to a 69% approval rating. This divergence highlights a recurring theme in modern cinema, where critical and audience perceptions don’t always align. The film’s polarizing nature has sparked debate about the direction of Disney’s live-action reimaginings and the balance between nostalgia and innovation.
Amidst the controversy and criticism, one star managed to shine through: Rachel Zegler. While her portrayal of Snow White was met with mixed reviews, Zegler’s talents were recognized elsewhere. On September 28, 2025, she received the Best West End Debut Performer award at The Stage Debut Awards in London for her leading role in Evita. The accolade was celebrated in a special episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast, released on September 30, 2025, which featured red carpet interviews and candid discussions about her unique experience performing in London’s West End.
During the podcast, Zegler reflected on her journey from Hollywood to the West End. She described the experience as transformative, noting the challenges and rewards of leading such an iconic musical. “It’s been a unique experience,” she said, emphasizing the differences between film and stage performance. Her success in Evita offered a bright spot in an otherwise tumultuous year, reinforcing her reputation as one of the industry’s rising stars.
The WhatsOnStage Podcast episode also included a segment on the upcoming revival of the musical Chess in New York, further underscoring the ongoing vibrancy of musical theater on both sides of the Atlantic. But it was Zegler’s win that stole the spotlight, serving as a reminder that even amid cinematic setbacks, individual achievement can still be celebrated.
Returning to Snow White, it’s clear that the film’s struggles weren’t solely due to aesthetic missteps or financial miscalculations. The project was dogged by controversies surrounding its production and casting, which played out publicly in the months leading up to its release. These issues, combined with the divisive reception of the Seven Dwarfs and a storyline that some critics found lacking in originality, contributed to the film’s underwhelming performance.
Yet, for all its challenges, Snow White has found a second life on Disney+, where it became available for streaming in late September 2025. The move to streaming may offer the film a chance to reach new audiences—those who may have skipped the theatrical release but are curious to see what all the fuss is about. It also reflects a broader shift in how studios gauge a film’s success, with digital platforms now playing a crucial role in a movie’s overall impact and legacy.
As the dust settles, Disney faces important questions about the future of its live-action remakes. Will the studio continue to pursue hyper-realistic visual effects, or will it return to the more stylized approach that made its earlier adaptations so beloved? And how will it address the growing gap between critical and audience reception?
For now, Snow White stands as a testament to the risks and rewards of reimagining a classic. Its technical achievements, while impressive, serve as a cautionary tale about the importance of balancing innovation with emotional resonance. And in the midst of it all, Rachel Zegler’s star continues to rise, proving that even in the face of adversity, talent finds a way to shine.
