Disney’s latest live-action remake,Snow White, recently received its initial critics score from Rotten Tomatoes, proving that no matter how hard Disney tries, their live-action movies peaked a long time ago. Based on the 1937 classic,Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,the 2025 remake starsRachel Zegler as the titular princess, who joins forces with a group of kind dwarves to take down her oppressive step-mother. Already, the movie’s critical performance was in flux due tovariousSnow Whitecontroversies, but it is now clear thatSnow Whitehas met these poor expectations.
At the moment,Snow Whitehas a 47% critics scoreon Rotten Tomatoes. Some reviewers have panned the project for being bland and unoriginal, not quite meriting a remake in the first place. Others were mostly satisfied withSnow White,and praised Zegler’s light-hearted rendition of Disney’s original princess. In general, it seems thatSnow Whitewas passable but failed to really wow critics, which leaves many to wonder how audiences will react. Either way,Snow White’spoor Rotten Tomatoes score continues a difficult trend for Disney’s live-action adaptations.
Disney’s Best Live-Action Movies Released In 2015 & 2016
How Disney’s Recent Live-Action Movies Have Failed
The unfortunate truth thatSnow Whiteconfirms is thatDisney’s live-action remakes were at their besta decade ago, in 2015. Disney first began dabbling with live-action movies in the 1990s, but didn’t truly commit to the trend until 2015, when they adaptedCinderella.This movie earned an impressive 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed over $500 million at the box office. The following year,Disney raked in even more praise forThe Jungle Book,which boasts the best Rotten Tomatoes score for any Disney live-action movie: 94%. Unfortunately, the movies have only gone downhill from there.
80%
41%
31%
51%
40%
54%
83%
94%
29%
Beauty and the Beast(2017)
71%
72%
45%
57%
39%
75%
27%
64%
67%
Snow White(2025)
47%
Since the release ofCinderellaandThe Jungle Book,Disney has failed to make another live-action remake with such strong critical ratings, despite releasing a new movie every year. Some of these films have divided critics and audiences, earning mixed reviews from one group and strong praise from another.Other Disney live-action films have been considered complete duds, like 2022’sPinocchio.Even films likeThe Lion King, which brought in incredible amounts of money at the box office, were still heavily criticized and generally disliked. Thus, Disney has struggled to replicate its previous success.
Why Disney Has Struggled With Live-Action Remakes
Disney’s Fight For Accuracy Vs Something New
In some cases, Disney’s live-action remakes simply didn’t do enough to merit their existence. Films likeSnow Whiteattempt to refresh the original story, but for critics, that isn’t enough to prove why they were remade when the original is as good as it is. On the other hand,some Disney remakes are bogged down by poor CGI, casting controversies, and plot changesthat just don’t bode well with viewers. Disney has the impossible task of maintaining the magic that made their movies successful in the first place while also making enough changes to validate the project’s creation.
10 Reasons Disney’s Live-Action Snow White’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Is So Low
Snow White is one of Disney’s most prized possessions, but the live-action remake has a low Rotten Tomatoes score because of the film’s major issues.
In reality, this fight between accuracy and freshness is what really hurts Disney’s live-action movies. Sometimes, radical changes to the original story have led to success for Disney, such asMulan,which earned a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, andCruella,which has a 75%. Meanwhile, other movies have received backlash for the most minute changes, such asThe Little MermaidorAladdin.All in all,Disney has had a hard time finding the right mix of nostalgia and newness for each of its stories.That is why their live-action movies have had such varying ratings over the past decade.
Every Upcoming Disney Live-Action Remake After Snow White
Why There Is Hope For Disney’s Live-Action Remakes
SinceSnow Whitehas continued Disney’s trend of less-than-stellar live-action remakes, the future is looking somewhat bleak. Disney has several live-action remakes on the horizon, and if they follow inSnow White’sfootsteps, it might be better for them to be scrapped in favor of something better. Currently,Disney has seven live-action remakes planned, includingLilo & Stitch, Moana, Hercules, Robin Hood, The Aristocats, Bambi,andTangled.Considering how beloved many of these movies are, it is a big risk for Disney to continue on its live-action journey. However, there is one shred of hope.
The only hint that Disney could turn its luck around with its live-action remakes is the recent trailer forLilo & Stitch.Set to bereleased on June 24, 2025,Lilo & Stitchlooks like it has the potential to be truly great. With an incredible cast, plenty of nostalgia, and surprisingly perfect animation, this movie could finally redeem Disney and set the company on a path to greatness in live-action. Though it is definitely still too early to tell,Lilo & Stitch’strailer has sparked a flame for many Disney lovers, and hopefully, it can reach the high expectations set for it.
How Disney Can Get Their Live-Action Remakes Back To The Quality We Saw A Decade Ago
Disney Needs To Fix Its CGI
The big question that remains is how Disney can bring its live-action movies to their former glory. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this. Whenlooking at the reviews forCinderellaandThe Jungle Book,reviewers were most impressed by the movies' abilities to stick to their original premise while adding subtly new elementssuch as stronger actors and impressive visuals. Perhaps, subtlety is the key for Disney. Rather than taking big storytelling risks or trying to cater to a modern agenda, the company should focus more on the details: the magic, the cinematography, and the performances.
It is strange thatThe Jungle Bookreceived incredible praise for its visual effects, but just three years later,The Lion King’sanimals looked far too realistic and soulless.
Beyond this,one change that definitely needs to be made is Disney’s CGI.It is strange thatThe Jungle Bookreceived incredible praise for its visual effects, but just three years later,The Lion King’sanimals looked far too realistic and soulless.Lilo & Stitchhas already proven that Disney can pull back on its CGI, so hopefully, this trend will continue. If Disney wants to succeed with its live-action films afterSnow White,it needs to bring the pure, authentic joy and childlike wonder back into its movies.
