In a candid interview that has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, Israeli superstar Gal Gadot has openly blamed her co-star Rachel Zegler for the resounding failure of Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White. The film, which hit theaters earlier this year, was poised to be a glittering blockbuster but instead became one of the studio’s most notorious flops, grossing just $205 million worldwide against a staggering $270 million production budget. Gadot, best known for her iconic portrayal of Wonder Woman, didn’t mince words during her appearance on the Israeli television program The A Talks, where she attributed the movie’s downfall squarely to Zegler’s controversial political outbursts during the promotional tour. “There’s a lot of pressure in Hollywood right now to take sides, and Rachel’s comments threw everything into chaos,” Gadot reportedly said, her voice laced with frustration. “We had a great time on set, but her decisions off-screen poisoned the well for all of us.”

The Snow White remake, directed by Marc Webb and starring Zegler as the titular princess and Gadot as the menacing Evil Queen, was meant to reimagine the classic 1937 animated tale for a modern audience. With its lush visuals, a diverse cast, and a soundtrack featuring original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the project generated massive buzz when it was first announced years ago. Zegler, a breakout star from Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake, was cast as Snow White in 2021, sparking immediate debate over the choice of a Latina actress for the traditionally fair-skinned character. Gadot, meanwhile, brought her A-list gravitas to the role of the villainous queen, a part that allowed her to showcase a darker side after years of heroic roles. Filming wrapped in 2023, but post-production delays pushed the release to March 2025, just as global tensions simmered in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

What should have been a fairy-tale ending turned into a nightmare at the box office. The film opened to a tepid $45 million in North America, far below expectations for a Disney princess reboot. International markets fared even worse, with audiences in Europe and the Middle East staying away in droves. Critics were brutal, with reviews lambasting the script as “tone-deaf” and the CGI dwarves as “awkwardly progressive yet regressive.” One prominent critic called it “an exhausting mess of outdated tropes wrapped in modern politics.” Behind the scenes, whispers of discord had been circulating for months, but Gadot’s recent revelations have ignited a full-blown firestorm.

At the heart of the controversy is Zegler, whose social media activity during the film’s promotion became a lightning rod for backlash. In August 2024, as the trailer racked up 120 million views in its first day, Zegler took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank fans but ended her post with a pointed political statement: “And always remember, free Palestine.” The message, appended to what was ostensibly a celebratory update about the trailer’s success, drew immediate ire from pro-Israel audiences, including many of Gadot’s fans. Zegler, who has been vocal about her support for Palestinian causes since her rise to fame, doubled down in subsequent interviews. In a profile for i-D magazine, she declared, “A platform becomes a responsibility, and that responsibility is ours to use as we please. There are obviously things that are at stake by being outspoken, but nothing is worth innocent lives. My heart doesn’t have a fence around it.”

The fallout was swift and severe. Jonah Platt, son of producer Marc Platt, publicly excoriated Zegler in a now-deleted Instagram comment, calling her actions “immature” and accusing her of “dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie for which she signed a multi-million dollar contract.” He claimed her outbursts “clearly hurt the film’s box office,” pointing to boycotts from conservative and pro-Israel groups as a direct result. Reports surfaced that Marc Platt himself flew to New York to meet with Zegler, urging her to remove the post, but she refused, standing firm on her beliefs. The incident escalated tensions on set, with rumors of reshoots and script changes to mitigate the growing PR crisis. Gadot, who served two years as a combat fitness instructor in the Israel Defense Forces during the 2006 Lebanon War, found herself on the receiving end of heightened death threats following Zegler’s comments. Disney reportedly beefed up her security detail, a move that underscored the personal toll of the feud.

Gadot’s interview on The A Talks peeled back the layers of this Hollywood drama. Seated in a sleek studio, the actress, now 40, reflected on the project’s highs and lows with a mix of nostalgia and bitterness. “I really enjoyed filming Snow White. Even working with Rachel—we laughed, we talked, it was fun,” she began, attempting to paint a picture of camaraderie. But her tone shifted as she delved into the release. “I was sure this movie was going to be a huge success, and then October 7 happened. What’s unfolding in industries worldwide, including Hollywood, is this immense pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel. You can explain, provide context about the reality here, but people make their own choices. I was disappointed that the movie was greatly affected by all of that and didn’t do well at the box office. But that’s how it goes—you win some, you lose some.”

While Gadot stopped short of naming Zegler directly in every instance, the subtext was unmistakable. She elaborated on Instagram shortly after the interview, writing, “When the film came out, I felt that those who are against Israel criticized me in a very personal, almost visceral way. They saw me first and foremost as an Israeli, not as an actress. That’s the perspective I spoke from.” Insiders close to the production whisper that Gadot had warned Zegler about the risks of injecting politics into the promo cycle, especially given the film’s global appeal and Gadot’s high-profile advocacy for Israel. At the Anti-Defamation League’s 2024 summit, Gadot had already voiced her anguish over rising antisemitism, saying, “Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States and cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas but celebrating, justifying, and cheering on a massacre of Jews.” Zegler’s posts, in this context, felt like a betrayal to Gadot, who had poured her heart into a role meant to empower women through a timeless story.

The Snow White debacle isn’t isolated; it’s symptomatic of broader fault lines in Hollywood. The film faced pre-release controversies, including a 2022 podcast rant by Peter Dinklage, who decried the project as “fucking backwards” for centering a Latina Snow White while still featuring the Seven Dwarfs, whom he saw as perpetuating stereotypes. Disney responded by reimagining the dwarfs as “magical creatures,” but the changes only fueled more online mockery. Add to that Zegler’s own interviews where she dismissed the original story as outdated—”Why does Snow White have to be saved by the prince? Can’t she save herself?”—and the film was a powder keg waiting to explode.

Financially, the flop has ripple effects. Disney, already reeling from underperformers like the live-action The Little Mermaid (which still cleared $569 million globally), is scrutinizing its remake strategy. Snow White earned a paltry $87 million domestically, paling in comparison to predecessors like Beauty and the Beast ($1.26 billion worldwide). Marketing costs alone ballooned to $100 million, leaving the studio with a net loss estimated at over $150 million. For the stars, the stakes are personal. Zegler, at 24, has upcoming projects like Romeo + Juliet on Broadway, but her reputation as a “divisive” talent could hinder future bookings. Gadot, ever the professional, is moving on to Wonder Woman 3 and producing ventures, but the incident has reignited debates about her IDF past and political neutrality.

Zegler has remained defiant in the face of the blame game. In recent statements, she reiterated, “If speaking my truth is my downfall, there are worse things.” Yet, the contrast between the two actresses—Gadot’s poised diplomacy versus Zegler’s fiery activism—highlights a generational and cultural divide. Gadot, a mother of four and global icon, represents an older guard navigating fame with caution, while Zegler embodies the unfiltered Gen Z voice demanding change, even at personal cost.

As Hollywood grapples with these tensions, the Snow White saga serves as a cautionary tale. In an industry built on escapism, injecting real-world politics can shatter the illusion. Gadot’s words echo this sentiment: “Of course, the film didn’t fail solely because of external pressures. There are many factors… but success is never guaranteed.” For now, the fairy tale is over, leaving fans to wonder if unity behind the camera is just another myth in Tinseltown.