Disney’s new live action remake of the classic “Snow White,” released on March 21, opened to $42 million in its first weekend, despite a production budget reportedly exceeding $270 million.

The movie drew significant attention online prior to its release, particularly over changes to the storyline and lead character. Actress Rachel Zegler, who stars as Snow White, described the original 1937 film as “extremely dated” in promotional interviews and criticized the classic romantic plotline involving the prince, referring to him as a “stalker.” She explained that the new version would focus on Snow White as a leader rather than a romantic figure.

These comments contributed to the controversy surrounding the film and led some fans to question Zegler’s connection to the character.

“I really wanted it to be authentic, because Snow White is the first ever Disney Princess movie, so I think the fact that they just took away from that authenticity kind of messed with me,” freshman Adhya Pola.

In addition to concerns about the plot, some viewers questioned the casting of Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, in a role originally described as having skin “white as snow.” Others defended the casting, emphasizing performance over adherence to visual tradition.

The film introduced new music composed by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, known for their work on “The Greatest Showman.” Songs such as “Waiting on a Wish” showcased Zegler’s vocal abilities and aimed to modernize the film’s sound.

Another source of criticism was Disney’s decision to use CGI for the seven dwarves instead of casting actors with dwarfism, as pointed out by actor Peter Dinklage, who has dwarfism.

“It makes no sense to me,” actor Peter Dinklage, who has dwarfism, said. “You’re progressive in one way, but then you’re still making that backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together?”

The release of “Snow White” comes amid a broader trend of underperforming Disney projects at the box office, including “The Marvels”, “Lightyear”, and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Some audience members have expressed fatigue with Disney’s live-action adaptations..

“I think Disney should just stop making live actions,” senior Mack Flowers said. “I think it’s a stupid money grab, it’s unoriginal, it’s boring, and frankly, they’re just doing it because they have no better ideas.”

Following Snow White’s debut, Disney has reportedly delayed production on other live-action remakes, such as “Tangled.” The studio has not commented publicly on the changes to its release slate.