Before Disney monopolized the market by cannibalizing its own animated back catalogue for inspiration, there was a real chance that dark and gritty revisionist reinventions of beloved fairytales were poised to become Hollywood’s hottest new genre, with Snow White and the Huntsman leading the charge in terms of box office dollars.
Rupert Sanders’ completely unnecessary but largely successful blockbuster netted close to $400 million from theaters on a $170 million budget despite reviews that could generously be described as lukewarm, while it even went on to land a pair of Academy Award nominations in the Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects categories.
That makes it an unqualified hit compared to the likes of Mirror Mirror, Beastly, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Red Riding Hood, and Jack the Giant Slayer, so it’s probably for the best that the unlikely subgenre ironically imploded for good when Snow White‘s Chris Hemsworth-led sequel Winter’s War flopped spectacularly.
Undoubtedly nice to look at, Hunstman‘s lush visuals and impeccable production design were massively let down by leaden pacing, an overlong running time, a weak screenplay, and the waste of a hugely talented ensemble cast. Then again, HBO Max subscribers seem happy to spend 127 minutes of their time engaging in dark fantasy, with FlixPatrol revealing the Snow White retread to be one of the biggest hits on the platform this week, having landed on the Top 10 in half a dozen nations.
The brief fairytale fad couldn’t beat nor join Disney at its own game, so it was inevitable the craze would swiftly peter out.