Staff Reports
Disney’s remake of Snow White and Robert De Niro’s The Alto Knights both crashed at the box office this weekend, proving Hollywood’s obsession with politics over storytelling is driving audiences away. While Snow White barely scraped past De Niro’s flop, both films highlight a growing disconnect between studios and regular moviegoers.
Disney’s live-action Snow White opened to a weak $43 million in the U.S., far below expectations. Critics trashed the film, calling it “boring” and “unnecessary,” while audiences gave it mixed reviews. The movie faced backlash from the start for turning Snow White into a “strong female leader” instead of the classic princess. Lead actress Rachel Zegler’s controversial comments about “updating” the story and her anti-Trump social media posts likely turned off family audiences. Disney even hired a social media handler to control her posts, but the damage was done. With a $270 million budget, the film needs a miracle to break even.
Robert De Niro’s The Alto Knights flopped harder, earning just $3.1 million. The gangster film’s failure continues De Niro’s box office losing streak, which critics link to his constant Trump-bashing. Moviegoers are tired of A-list stars pushing politics instead of entertaining. The film’s $50 million budget makes this disaster even worse for Warner Bros., which hasn’t had a hit since Beetlejuice Beetlejuice last year. De Niro’s legacy won’t save him if he keeps alienating half the country.
Both films flopped in a year where the box office is down 7% from 2024. Studios keep pumping out remakes and political messaging instead of original stories viewers crave. Mid-budget films—the kind families actually watch—have nearly vanished. Audiences are voting with their wallets, rejecting lectures masked as entertainment. Until Hollywood stops prioritizing activism over storytelling, expect more bombs like these.
