Snow White FLOPS in China, locals say NO to Disney 🤣 | HO

Disney’s live action remake of the 1937 classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, has absolutely bombed at the Chinese box office on its opening weekend, with even worse performance than Disney’s other controversial live action remake, The Little Mermaid, showing that Chinese audiences have little time to entertain the West’s excessive pushing of politically correct content of late.

Disney’s live-action remake of the 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has bombed spectacularly at the Chinese box office, underperforming even worse than Disney’s other controversial live-action remake, The Little Mermaid. With just $900,000 in earnings from 34,000 screens on its opening weekend, Snow White is predicted to gross a mere $1.62 million in total from Chinese cinemas—less than half of what The Little Mermaid made. This failure has sent ripples through the entertainment world, especially as Chinese audiences seem to have had enough of Hollywood’s excessive focus on political correctness, rejecting the film for reasons far beyond just the casting choices.

As a result, Snow White’s poor reception in China has sparked online reactions, with many locals taking to social media to express their discontent. Disney’s attempt to push political correctness onto their audiences has backfired, leaving Chinese viewers with a bad taste. Let’s dive into why this film failed in China and why Disney’s approach may have missed the mark entirely.

The Initial Reception and Box Office Performance

Opening on Friday with 34,000 screens in China, Disney’s Snow White quickly disappointed, earning less than $900,000—an average of just $25 per screen over its opening weekend. By comparison, The Little Mermaid earned $3.65 million at the Chinese box office, showing that the public’s discontent was no isolated incident. Despite Disney’s significant promotion efforts, including posters in public spaces and a nationwide marketing blitz, the film struggled to gain traction in the mainland market.

A local movie influencer, who attended a screening in Shanghai, described the situation starkly: the entire IMAX theater had only five viewers present. Even with Disney’s extensive promotion, the film’s impact was minimal, signaling that something deeper was at play. For an industry giant like Disney, this was nothing short of a disaster, considering the $300 million production budget.

Backlash Over Disney’s Political Correctness

The film’s failure didn’t come as a surprise to some, as it had already been facing criticism in the West, particularly after lead actress Rachel Zegler made headlines for her controversial comments about the original 1937 version of Snow White. Zegler had previously trashed the film and expressed distaste for its historical portrayal, which she deemed problematic. This triggered backlash from audiences, but it wasn’t just the comments that set people off—Disney’s insistence on making the film “progressive” by casting Zegler, a Colombian actress, as Snow White also didn’t sit well with many.

As Snow White bombed in China, one of the main reasons cited for the film’s rejection was the casting of Zegler and Disney’s overall political correctness. Chinese audiences, according to local news sources, saw the decision to cast a Latina actress in the role of Snow White as a deviation from the story’s traditional imagery and a departure from the character’s origins. One user on a Chinese platform wrote, “It’s fine if there’s a dark-skinned Ariel, but now there’s a brown-skinned Snow White? Have you ever thought about why she was called Snow White?”

This criticism was echoed in an article by Global Times, which stated that Disney’s push for diversity and multiculturalism in the film was a factor that led to a cultural disconnect in China. “Disney’s adaptation strategy, which emphasizes multiculturalism for universal appeal, faces rejection in different cultural contexts,” the article reads. “What Chinese audiences are rejecting is not multiculturalism, but superficial cultural deconstruction devoid of sincerity.”

Political Correctness and Cultural Disconnect

The cultural divide between the West and China has been a recurring issue when it comes to Hollywood’s global strategies. While U.S. audiences have grown accustomed to the Hollywood trend of prioritizing political correctness, China remains largely indifferent to these issues. As one commenter pointed out, “Wokeness is your business; you can’t use that gimmick here in China.”

The article from Global Times argued that what Chinese audiences are rejecting is the superficiality of Hollywood’s attempts at diversity, which lacks authenticity in the Chinese cultural context. The shift away from traditional storytelling and the attempt to force a politically correct narrative are seen as inauthentic to Chinese viewers. The film’s emphasis on “inner beauty” and de-emphasis of physical appearance through Snow White’s origin story change—such as her not having “skin as white as snow”—didn’t resonate with the audience. This attempt to change Snow White’s story to promote a modern, “woke” agenda left many viewers confused and disappointed.

The Reaction on Social Media

Once the film hit Chinese theaters, reactions flooded social media, and they weren’t kind. One social media user wrote, “Disney’s excessive political correctness will really backfire. Snow White isn’t white anymore—what’s going on?” Another echoed similar sentiments, saying, “It’s funny to see them try to make Snow White into something else. Why even bother remaking it?”

There were even more pointed comments about the direction the film took, with one fan commenting: “When I was 6 years old, I watched the original Snow White at least 60 times. It was my first Disney animation. So when I watched this live-action version, 88 years later, with great expectations, I felt like I had eaten a poisoned apple. Snow White was no longer Snow White, and the magic was gone.”

This backlash goes beyond just casting choices—it’s about how Disney’s shift toward inclusivity was perceived by those who have no personal history with issues like slavery and racial segregation. As one commenter pointed out, “Chinese people didn’t discriminate or enslave black people, nor did they racially segregate them. Wokeness is your business. You can’t force it on us.”

What Does This Mean for Disney?

The dismal performance of Snow White in China is a major blow to Disney’s global strategy. The failure signals that pushing politically correct content onto international markets without consideration of local cultural contexts can lead to major losses. The film’s casting choices and changes to the original story alienated many potential viewers in China, a market that Disney has worked hard to crack.

As for the future of Disney’s live-action remakes in China, this performance could have long-term repercussions. Chinese audiences have made it clear that they don’t want to be lectured about political correctness when they’re looking for entertainment. They want films that resonate with their own cultural values, not those dictated by Hollywood’s current ideological trends.

Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for Hollywood

The flop of Snow White in China serves as a wake-up call for Hollywood. It’s clear that what works in one cultural context doesn’t always translate globally. As Global Times pointed out, the Chinese audience isn’t rejecting diversity—rather, they are rejecting a version of diversity that feels superficial and forced.

Disney, known for its ability to appeal to diverse global markets, may need to rethink its approach to making films that are both culturally sensitive and true to the original stories. In the case of Snow White, the failure at the Chinese box office is a reminder that audiences around the world may not appreciate forced diversity if it doesn’t feel authentic to them. If Hollywood continues to push content that doesn’t align with local cultures, it may find itself facing more disappointing box office results.

It’s time for a shift in how Disney—and Hollywood as a whole—approaches its global audience. As Snow White’s performance shows, even the most iconic tales can fall flat when not adapted with care and respect for the cultures in which they are released.