From fairy-tale to fiasco: How Disney's Snow White flopped before it even hit theaters

Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has found itself biting into a poisoned apple of controversy.

What was supposed to be a magical reimagining of the classic fairy tale has instead become a box office disaster, plagued by political backlash, industry blame games, and widespread audience boycotts.

What went wrong?

One of the biggest hurdles facing Snow White is the rise of the pro-Palestine movement and the calls for a boycott of anyone complicit in supporting the Israeli Occupation's military actions in Gaza.

Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, has been a vocal supporter and has previously served in the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). With tensions in Gaza at an all-time high, her presence in the film has sparked outrage, leading to mass boycotts by audiences refusing to support a project featuring someone seen as an advocate for war crimes.

Read more: Snow White rated among worst movies on IMDb with 1.7/10

Additionally, Gadot is not the only one facing widespread boycotts. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for economic pressure against companies and individuals complicit in "Israeli" actions, has long had Disney on its boycott list, citing "Disney and its subsidiary Marvel are complicit in glorifying Israel’s regime of genocide and apartheid against Indigenous Palestinians."

With Snow White, the studio has only further alienated pro-Palestinian supporters who refuse to watch a film starring a former IOF soldier.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, why is Gadot’s acting worst of all?

Adding to the film’s woes, Gadot’s performance has been widely mocked online. Critics and audiences alike have panned her acting, calling it wooden and emotionless. Social media has been flooded with memes comparing her lackluster delivery to robotic performances, further dampening enthusiasm for the film. With the Evil Queen being one of Disney’s most iconic villains, many had high expectations—only to be met with disappointment.

Every gal gadot scene in Snow White was basically a try not to laugh challenge but this one really took me out. Genocide queen can't act to save her life. pic.twitter.com/4ae1lI1vsW

— sedrick (@nielsedrick_) March 24, 2025

Remember when ppl thought Gal Gadot was “pretty” before we realized she’s a disgusting ugly genocidal Zionist iof soldier? And now we are all painfully aware of how atrocious her acting is? pic.twitter.com/2DTUHj87n2

— Correcting the Record with Guillotines  (@SetPixels) March 25, 2025

Gal Gadot is a hater’s dream. So many reasons to hate her. Not only is she extraordinarily bad at acting, she’s also a bad person. You could pick any reason to hate her and you’d be in the right.

— Zito (@_Zeets) March 19, 2025

Disney shifts the blame to Rachel Zegler

Rather than acknowledging the broader reasons behind Snow White’s box office failure, Hollywood giants and Disney executives have reportedly placed the blame on lead actress Rachel Zegler.

Zegler, who has previously made headlines for her outspoken views, drew industry ire after advocating for Palestine in a post on X.

and always remember, free palestine.

— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) August 12, 2024

Despite her relatively small online presence compared to Gadot’s, Zegler has been framed as a liability, with insiders whispering that her political stance alienated audiences. The irony is stark—while one actress faces consequences for standing against genocide, another, who openly supports a military engaged in war, remains in Hollywood’s good graces.

Jonah Platt, son of Snow White producer Marc Platt, even publicly criticized Zegler, suggesting her political statements contributed to the film’s poor box office performance.

Read more: Gal Gadot’s Snow White stumbles at box office with bust opening

According to reports from Variety, Marc Platt, a longtime Hollywood producer, personally flew to New York to address the issue with Zegler.

In a since-deleted Instagram comment, Jonah Platt, stated, "My dad, the producer of (an) enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20-year-old employee for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie." He added that Zegler, who signed a multimillion-dollar contract, had an obligation to focus on publicity rather than personal opinions.

Platt argued that Zegler’s actions negatively impacted the film’s financial success. "This is called adult responsibility and accountability. And her actions clearly hurt the film's box office," he claimed.

He further elaborated on his stance, stating that while free speech is important, it does not shield an employee from workplace consequences. "Free speech does not mean you're allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions," he wrote, emphasizing that Snow White’s failure affected thousands of workers involved in the production. He criticized Zegler’s decision to speak out, calling it an act of "narcissism" that jeopardized the efforts of the entire team.

They blamed Rachel being a pro palestine instead of Gal Gadot's horrible acting https://t.co/BYdgqF3YqQ pic.twitter.com/1K00YDZvQs

— belle is calling  (@scarletredvel) March 25, 2025

rachel zegler wasn’t the problem with snow white. the problem was that it was bad and her co-star can’t act.

and speaking of said co-star, i fail to see how two words from rachel are any more “political” than gal gadot being a former idf soldier - a fact curiously omitted here. https://t.co/nVY2npSGzX

— zoë rose bryant (@zoerosebryant) March 25, 2025

With dismal box office projections, abysmal IMDb ratings, and an audience putting their morals first, Snow White was doomed before it even hit theaters.

Disney’s attempt to rewrite the classic tale into a live-action success story has instead turned into a cautionary tale—one that shows the power of collective action, the consequences of tone-deaf casting, and the reality that Hollywood’s days of ignoring global politics are long over.