Mirror, mirror on the wall, what’s the worst movie adaptation of all? According to the box office, the 2025 version of Snow White may have taken the cake. It scored an extremely low rating of 1.6/10 on IMDb. The movie even claimed the title of “the worst blockbuster in IMDb history.” While the reasoning behind these ratings is subjective, many viewers strongly dislike how the Snow White story was executed. Unfortunately, this cinematic flop is having lasting effects on other things that Disney has had in the works, including the highly anticipated remake of the 2010 film “Tangled”. 

The live-action remake of Disney’s retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytale has been officially put on pause due to the underwhelming results that “Snow White” produced. Rumors of “Tangled” production have been circulating the internet, and when Disney confirmed that an adaptation was in the works, anticipation rose quickly. Michael Gracey, director of “The Greatest Showman,” had also agreed to direct this film. Jennifer Kaitlyn Robinson, scriptwriter of “Thor: Love and Thunder,” was also on board to provide her expertise. The rumored casting for the starring role also appeared promising, with popular actress Florence Pugh and the worldwide hit pop artist Sabrina Carpenter among those considered, along with many other well-known stars. With anticipation building and positive feedback so far, it’s hard to imagine why Disney would halt production of a movie that has the potential to be a hit. So why did they? 

Disney may have done this mainly because of the significant financial loss they suffered through “Snow White”. The film grossed only about $145 million worldwide, despite having a production cost of $270 million. The film cost Disney millions of dollars. While it may appear that about $100 million to Disney isn’t enough, the goal is never to decrease revenue and waste it on resources that won’t generate a return. With such a hard loss, Disney may be trying to recover from its financial decline while also taking precautions to ensure it doesn’t happen again with future films.

While the plots of many Disney remakes remain the same as their original animated versions, it is evident that the newer adaptations are trying to address any discrepancies that may have been normalized when they were made. Many newer films weave themes of equality, gender roles, and women’s empowerment within the original storylines. While this may seem like a positive thing, it could be harming Disney’s reputation. “Snow White” (2025) shifted the focus away from the original love story and focused more on women’s empowerment and her rise to leadership. However, it appears that even viewers who value progressivism don’t like the movies that were a part of many childhoods, having changed to such an extreme extent, based on the ratings, comments, and even memes made online. It’s unknown whether “Tangled” had any of these underlying themes. Still, Disney may be trying to distance it from anything too far from its original storyline, given that the majority didn’t appreciate it.

While Disney excels at its film-making expertise, it’s clear that not every movie can be a hit. Even the most promising and highly anticipated movies have the potential to be flops, and halting the “Tangled” production may be a safe move on their part. After all, viewers don’t want the film to be another “bad apple”.