Box Office: Disney’s live-action Snow White underperforms in South Korea, posting the studio’s lowest opening in the market

Disney’s live-action Snow White opened to a sluggish USD 154,000 in South Korea, marking Disney’s weakest debut in the region and signaling a tough road ahead at the box office.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 20, 2025 | 11:16 AM IST | 4.5K

Picture Courtesy: Disney

Disney’s live-action Snow White had a disappointing start in South Korea, grossing just USD 154,000 on its opening day, Wednesday, March 19. The figure includes preview screenings, which drew only 24,000 admissions, capturing just a 16.8% market share—signaling a sluggish reception in a market that is usually enthusiastic about Hollywood tentpoles.

Snow White marked Disney’s weakest debut in the region, and with its current trajectory, pundits believe the film will be lucky to cross the USD 1 million mark in its five-day opening stretch.

This could have worse effects on the film’s worldwide debut weekend projection of USD 100 to USD 110 million. In North America, its domestic market, the film is expected to gross USD 55 to USD 60 million between Friday and Sunday.

For those unversed, the movie stars Rachel Zegler in the titular role alongside Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Andrew Burnap plays the heroine’s love interest, who assists her in reclaiming her kingdom from her stepmother (Gadot).

Directed by Marc Webb and penned by Erin Cressida Wilson, the film is based on the Mouse House’s 1937 entry Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Plans for a remake were confirmed in 2016. Filming took place primarily in London, England, from March to July 2022, with additional tapings and pickups in June 2024, following the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

After a string of controversies regarding the casting of a Latina actress as Disney’s fairest princess and criticism over the reimagining of the iconic dwarfs, Snow White premiered to rave reviews in Los Angeles on February 15, with critics praising the film as the grandest remake of all time. Zegler's acting also received acclaim.

Before the LA event, the film premiered at the Alcázar of Segovia in Spain, the castle that inspired the one in the original animated film.

Back to the film’s reception in South Korea so far, it received a 7.0 Golden Egg rating from audiences—one of the lowest for a Hollywood release in the country post-pandemic. Snow White’s rating even fell below The Marvels (7.2 Golden Egg) and is roughly equivalent to a C grade on CinemaScore. Additionally, on Megabox, one of Korea’s largest cinema chains, the film holds a 7.2-star rating, reinforcing that general audiences are not responding favorably.

Snow White arrives in U.S. and global cinemas tomorrow, March 21.