Snow White's Box Office Surprise: A Tale of Blue and Red Divides

Snow White, the latest Disney live-action remake, has sparked conversations beyond its screen time. The movie, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, opened with 43 million dollars in the U. S. This was a significant drop from its 270 million dollar production budget. The film's performance varied greatly between blue and red states, raising questions about its appeal across different political landscapes. The movie found a stronger audience in blue counties. These areas, which lean Democratic, make up 53% of U. S. theaters and generate a large chunk of movie ticket sales. Snow White's success in these regions isn't surprising, given that family and animated films typically draw 63% of their ticket sales from blue counties. However, the film also overperformed in red counties, which lean Republican. This suggests that the political divide didn't entirely dictate the movie's success. Snow White's performance in Latino and Hispanic markets was particularly notable. Cities like Dallas, San Antonio, and Phoenix saw a significant turnout. This is interesting, considering the backlash Zegler faced during early production. She was criticized for her casting in the title role but stood her ground, refusing to bleach her skin for the part. Her response to the controversy and her political statements added layers to the movie's reception. Despite Disney's efforts to promote diversity, the movie's release coincided with a rollback of many corporations' DEI initiatives. This was due to fears of the Trump administration's policies. However, the movie's performance in red counties suggests that political controversies didn't significantly impact its box office success. In fact, theaters in red counties performed better than expected for a family/animated film of this scale. The movie's box office ceiling can also be attributed to a lack of demand for older Disney IP and a lack of crossover audience. Only 28% of the audience was under 13, compared to other films like Barbie, which pulled in a higher percentage of younger viewers. Despite this, the movie played evenly across the country, with the highest-grossing cinema located in a red state.