Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

 
Disney's live-action Snow White has underperformed at the Chinese mainland box office, accumulating an estimated 6.38 million yuan ($880,091) during its opening weekend, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan. 

The platform predicted that the film might only gross 11.79 million yuan in the second largest film market in the world, far below even the underperforming The Little Mermaid (2023), which only grossed 26.51 million yuan in the mainland. 

While some Chinese audiences have questioned the wisdom of adapting the 1937 classic, some have also said "the storyline itself is actually decent." "If it weren't for the highly controversial casting choices, the reception probably wouldn't have been this bad," wrote one user on Chinese film review platform Douban. However, box-office data suggests that most Chinese audiences seem to disapprove of the adaptation.

They expressed their understanding of the film's attempt to modernize the story by incorporating themes of female independence but note the work itself is "full of flaws."

Beijing-based film critic Shi Wenxue told the Global Times that Disney's live-action remakes are often heavily influenced by political correctness, which has affected not just Snow White but also once caused backlash against The Little Mermaid. 

The move to change Snow White's origin story from having skin as white as snow to surviving a blizzard when she was born to promote inner beauty over physical appearance has confused many viewers. 

Chinese audiences' perception of the princess Snow White is rooted in the 1937 animated version's visual symbolism, which is etched in the collective memory across generations. 

Casting Rachel Zegler, a US actress of Colombian descent, while progressive in terms of diversity, has triggered a cultural disconnect that Chinese moviegoers see as a deviation of the story's foundational imagery.

The handling of the seven dwarfs is another issue. 

The original animated characters, with their distinct personalities, contribute to a unique fairy tale atmosphere. 

However, the live-action version's attempts to use CGI characters have resulted in the dwarfs being criticized, disrupting the cultural essence of the story. 

Some Chinese netizens said Disney has sacrificed narrative coherence for political optics. 

"The additional layer of racial issues in the remade classic Western fairy tale has further distanced Chinese audiences from connecting with the story," Chen Yao, a film insider, told the Global Times.

The plot changes have also drawn criticism. 

The film tries to tell a "strong female lead" narrative, giving Snow White a symbolic necklace engraved with "fearless" "fair" "brave" and "true," but the story still follows the traditional pattern of fleeing, being saved, being poisoned, and being revived by a true love kiss from a man. 

This creates a contradiction between the proclaimed independence and the actual story.

In contrast, previous adaptations such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast enriched their characters and stories while remaining faithful to the classic films, which generally aligns with Chinese audiences' imagination of classic fairy tale-based films, Chen noted.

When adapting classics, audiences expect both nostalgia and high aesthetic standards. However, some experts think Disney's Snow White fails to meet these expectations. 

Chinese viewers now value quality and cultural depth more than mere nostalgia, reflecting their growing cultural literacy and diverse tastes. They demand more from filmmakers and expect classic adaptations to show respect and innovation, rather than imposing Western values.

Disney's adaptation strategy, which emphasizes female awakening and multiculturalism for universal appeal, faces rejection in different cultural contexts. 

Its "globalism" reveals a double standard: while Mulan (2020) leaned into Asian tropes like matchmakers and ancestor worship, Snow White demands non-Western audiences accept radical reboots of their shared classics. 

The New York Times' revelation that Disney once considered making the dwarfs "kung fu fighters in China"  exemplifies this arrogance. Such ideas treat non-Western cultures as exotic accessories, not equal partners. 

"China's filmgoers are no longer passive consumers of Hollywood nostalgia. We can produce fine domestic-made films and achieve good results even overseas," Chen said, adding that Chinese audiences now demand narratives that resonate with their own values and aesthetics. 

Moreover, the film's lukewarm reception in North America suggests that even Western audiences are tired of Disney's formulaic "woke" revisions. 

New York Post, a conservative US daily tabloid, on Saturday reported that the film is projected to rake in just about $45 million this weekend, putting it on track to be one of Disney's "sleepiest opening weekends yet."

The studio's reluctance to screen the film for Chinese media  ahead of release - a rare move indicating low confidence - further eroded trust. 

What Chinese audiences are rejecting is not multiculturalism, but superficial cultural deconstruction devoid of sincerity; their criticism targets not the theme of female empowerment, but forced empowerment that doesn't fit the context. It exposes the fragility of Hollywood's "one-size-fits-all" approach to diversity, particularly in markets like China, where audiences increasingly reject ideological imports that lack local nuance.

As Chinese netizens quipped, "Magic mirrors can't reflect sincerity" - a lesson Hollywood would do well to heed.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn