Box Office: Disney halts plans for Tangled live-action remake after Snow White's debacle; Revisiting the animated movie's glorious theatrical run

Disney has reportedly hit pause on its live-action remake of Tangled following the unfavorable box office performance of Snow White, its most recent adaptation. The Tangled project, which had The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey attached with a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Thor: Love and Thunder), was in active development before studio insiders told THR it was shelved.

Snow White, made on a staggering USD 250 million price tag—excluding marketing costs—floundered at the box office. With no potential turnaround in sight, the film faces the possibility of not even breaking even theatrically.

Reasons for Snow White underperforming are several, including casting and creative differences as well as press fumbles. The Mouse House first faced backlash over Rachel Zegler, a Latina, being cast as the titular character—traditionally described as having skin as white as snow. The actress then exacerbated the situation by calling the original 1937 iteration of Snow White “weird.” She further stirred controversy by making comments about Donald Trump, inviting the wrath of his supporters. Gal Gadot, who plays her evil stepmother, also faced backlash for openly expressing her Zionist views.

As for creative decisions, Disney’s reimagining of the Seven Dwarfs element ended up upsetting fans.

Amid Tangled’s live-action remake being shelved, here’s a look at the animated version’s box office run.

Released in 2010, the film grossed over USD 591 million globally, of which USD 200.8 million came from the domestic market and USD 391 million from international territories. The movie marked a turning point for Disney Animation, blending a classic fairy tale with contemporary humor and musical numbers.

Despite recent setbacks, Disney isn’t entirely abandoning the live-action remake strategy. Lilo & Stitch hits theaters this May, and early reactions are promising—its teaser became Disney’s most-viewed live-action trailer of all time. Moana will follow in 2026, leveraging the enormous popularity of its animated original and its billion-dollar sequel Moana 2, which became one of the highest-grossing films of 2024 despite releasing in November.

Past successful live-action ventures by Disney include The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. The recently released Mufasa: The Lion King had a slow start but eventually climbed to an impressive USD 700 million-plus worldwide. Meanwhile, The Little Mermaid wrapped up its theatrical run with a tepid USD 570 million.

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