Disney’s live-action reboot of Snow White landed face-first at the box office when it released earlier this year. While the film was criticised for its lacklustre storytelling and performances, many felt that external factors – mainly lead star Rachel Zegler speaking out in support of Palestine – also hurt the film’s box office prospects. Now, Gal Gadot, the film’s other star, has concurred with that assessment, adding that the film’s failure disappointed her.
Gal Gadot on Snow White
Mounted on a budget of over $250 million, Snow White barely earned $200 million worldwide, leading to massive losses for Disney. The Marc Webb film reportedly needed to earn $600 million to earn a profit, falling disastrously short of that mark. Recently, Gal Gadot spoke about the film on the Israeli chat show The A Talks. Speaking in Hebrew, the actor said, “First of all, I have to say that I really enjoyed filming this movie. I even enjoyed working with Rachel Zegler. We laughed, we talked, and it was fun. I was sure that this movie was going to be a huge success.”
Gal Gadot, an Israeli, served in the Israeli Defence Forces for two years as part of her mandatory conscription. She has been a vocal backer of Israel in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. On the other hand, Rachel Zegler supported Palestine and Gaza, something that did not go down well with the film’s producer, Marc Platt, as per reports. Zegler’s comments, which came after the Israeli attack on Gaza in October 2024, ruffled quite a few feathers in Disney.
Talking about it, Gal Gadot added, “And then October 7 happened, and what’s happening in all kinds of industries, and also in Hollywood, is that there’s a lot of pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel. I can always explain and try to give people in the world context about what’s happening and what the reality is here, but in the end, people decide for themselves. I was disappointed that the movie was greatly affected by that and didn’t do well at the box office.”
What box office analysts say
Snow White started on a disastrous note at the box office and went downhill from there. Producer Marc Platt’s son Jonah Platt attributed Snow White’s underperformance in its opening week partly to Zegler’s social media post supporting Palestine. However, box office analysts have said that political controversies did not affect the film’s fate.
