'Snow White' Flop at the Box Office, Disney Delays Live Action Project and Evaluates Remake Strategy

This decision did not come suddenly. The performance of Snow White, which only managed to gather around 150 million US dollars globally, far below the production budget of 270 million dollars (around IDR 4.32 trillion), serves as a serious signal that Disney needs to conduct a thorough evaluation of their approach to remake films.

In addition to the weak financial performance, Snow White also failed to win the hearts of critics and audiences. With a score of only 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, many consider the film to have lost its original charm. Even on IMDB, it only received a score of 1.6.

One of the causes is the controversy surrounding the film, starting from the casting of lead actress Rachel Zegler, her comments deemed to belittle the original film, to the story changes that strayed too far from the classic version. Audiences feel that the film is too focused on a modern agenda without preserving the essence and magic of the fairy tale they loved since childhood.

The impact of the failure of 'Snow White' was felt immediately on the 'Tangled' project. Although not canceled, Disney chose to pause and reconsider the creative direction of the film. Initially, the project was planned to be directed by Michael Gracey ('The Greatest Showman') with a script by Jennifer Kaityn Robinson ('Thor: Love and Thunder'). However, now all those plans are being evaluated, including the possibility of a major retooling to prevent the film from facing a similar fate as 'Snow White'.

The decision to delay 'Tangled' also reflects Disney's cautious approach in facing audience fatigue towards remakes. In recent years, several other live-action films have also received mixed reactions.

'The Little Mermaid' drew attention due to representation issues, 'Peter Pan & Wendy' was criticized for altering characters and story messages too much, while 'Pinocchio' was deemed a failure in terms of visuals and emotion. All of this serves as an alarm that nostalgia alone is not enough to guarantee the success of a remake.

Nevertheless, Disney has not given up. Several live-action projects are still underway, such as 'Lilo & Stitch', which is scheduled to be released next month and has already received positive responses through its trailer.

Moana is also in the production process, with Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui in human form.

In addition, the remakes of Hercules, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, and Bambi are still in the early development stage, although they have not been announced in detail.

On the other hand, despite facing some setbacks, Disney still has a great opportunity with potential projects like Zootopia 2 and Coco 2, which are highly anticipated by fans. If executed carefully, respecting the source material, and providing a fresh touch relevant to today's audience, it is not impossible for Disney to rise again and win the hearts of the public as it once did.