Now, whether Zegler deserves the full blame for “Snow White” is not for me to say, but she didn’t help. Disney certainly blamed the actress, via anonymous sources, painting Zegler as irresponsible and, erratic in behavior during the promotion of “Snow White.”
However, Gal Gadot, who played the Evil Queen, actually blames herself for the flop, or more specifically, haters of her country.
Gadot, who served in the Israeli Defense Forces for two years, addressed the reception during a recent interview on Israeli TV (via The Wrap). She insisted that, despite media speculation, her on-set relationship with Zegler was warm. “We laughed, talked, and had fun,” she said.
Gadot also ventured into more controversial territory when explaining the film’s underperformance. She suggested that broader pressures in Hollywood — specifically the pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel — played a role.
“You can always explain and try to give people in the world a context about what’s happening [in Israel] and what the reality is here, but in the end people decide for themselves,” she said. “I was disappointed that the movie was greatly affected by that and didn’t do well at the box office.”
In other words, according to Gadot, the drama wasn’t on set — it was online, and it may have cost Disney a hit.
“Snow White” arrived with a thud. Critics were lukewarm, audiences were underwhelmed, and the box office tells the harshest story: $205M worldwide against a budget that exceeded $300M. At one point, Disney even reportedly hit pause on its live-action remake slate in the aftermath.
So, I ask again, why did it fail? That’ll depend on who you ask. And quite honestly, it seems to come down to party lines. Liberal-leaners are hating on Gadot, while conservatives absolutely lay the blame on Zegler. How about the fact that rebooting “Snow White” for 2020s sensibilities was a misbegotten idea to begin with?