Introduction

Disney’s live-action Snow White, released on March 21, 2025, was meant to be a triumphant reimagining of the 1937 animated classic, starring Rachel Zegler as the iconic princess and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Instead, the $270 million film has become a cautionary tale for Hollywood, grossing a mere $43 million domestically and $87 million globally in its opening weekend, with projections of a $115 million loss. The film’s failure has been attributed to a series of controversies, many centered on Zegler’s outspoken comments, culminating in a recent rant that has backfired spectacularly. Her remarks, combined with the film’s “woke” creative choices, have drawn widespread criticism, leaving Disney to bear the financial and reputational fallout. This article explores Zegler’s latest rant, the backlash it sparked, and the broader implications for Disney’s remake strategy, drawing from web sources and sentiment on X.

Zegler’s Latest Rant: Fueling the Fire

Rachel Zegler, a 23-year-old actress of Colombian and Polish descent, has been a polarizing figure since her casting as Snow White in June 2021. Her latest controversy erupted in early April 2025, when she took to Instagram to address the Snow White flop and her critics. In a now-deleted post, Zegler lashed out, calling detractors “bitter Disney adults” and defending her progressive views, stating, “I won’t apologize for believing in a better world, even if it makes you uncomfortable.” She also criticized “white Hollywood executives” for questioning her Latina identity during her West Side Story casting, a point she reiterated from a March 2025 GB News interview. The rant, described as “unhinged” by X user @DC_Draino on March 27, 2025, was seen as a direct jab at Disney’s leadership and fans, further alienating audiences already frustrated by her earlier comments.

The rant backfired immediately. Conservative commentators like Megyn Kelly, who previously called for Zegler’s firing over her anti-Trump posts, labeled her “a liability” on SiriusXM, while X posts, such as one from @AmiriKing on March 26, 2025, accused her of “selfishly sabotaging a $270m project with her smug attitude.” Progressive fans, who once championed her, expressed disappointment, with @maiamindel on April 21, 2025, sarcastically asking, “What do you want us to do, build her a statue?” The backlash intensified when Zegler’s former West Side Story co-star Ariana DeBose appeared to criticize her on Instagram, quoting producer Jonah Platt’s deleted post calling Zegler “narcissistic” and setting it to Beyoncé’s Cozy, a move interpreted as a subtle dig.

The Snow White Flop: A Perfect Storm

The Snow White remake was plagued by controversies from the start. Zegler’s casting sparked racist backlash from fans fixated on the character’s “skin as white as snow,” prompting her to tweet, “No I am not bleaching my skin for the role.” Her 2022 D23 Expo comments, where she called the original film “dated” and its prince a “stalker,” were perceived as dismissive of Disney’s legacy. She emphasized the remake’s feminist approach, with Snow White as a leader rather than a romantic heroine, and the replacement of “Someday My Prince Will Come” with “Waiting on a Wish.” These remarks, viral on TikTok, alienated traditionalists, with X user @LoneWolf907 on May 1, 2025, declaring them “beyond saving” for the film’s prospects.

Zegler’s political posts added fuel to the fire. Her August 2024 X post, “and always remember, free Palestine,” following a trailer promotion, garnered 8.8 million views and reportedly led to death threats against Gadot, necessitating additional security. Disney producer Marc Platt flew to New York to address the post, but Zegler refused to delete it, prompting the studio to hire a social media strategist. Her November 2024 Instagram outburst, wishing “Trump supporters and Trump himself never know peace,” drew fierce criticism, with conservative pundit Ben Shapiro calling it a “girl boss” misstep. Although Zegler apologized, the damage was done, with Disney insiders telling Variety she “didn’t understand the repercussions” for the film.

Creative choices further eroded support. The decision to replace the seven dwarfs with CGI “magical creatures” of diverse genders and ethnicities, prompted by Peter Dinklage’s criticism of dwarfism stereotypes, drew ire from dwarf actors like Jason Acuña, who told Movie Maniac in 2023, “You’re replacing jobs that people could have.” The narrative shift, tying Snow White’s name to surviving a blizzard rather than her complexion, was seen as unnecessary. The film’s 40% Rotten Tomatoes score and IMDb review-bombing, with a 1.6/10 from 343,000 users, reflected audience discontent.

Disney’s “Woke” Miscalculation

Disney’s push for progressive remakes, dubbed “woke” by critics, has been a double-edged sword. The studio aimed to diversify its princess canon, casting Zegler to appeal to a broader audience, as noted by Awards Daily: “She was hired as a living virtue signal.” However, the execution faltered. The Snow White remake’s focus on “girl-bossing” Snow White, as Shapiro put it, clashed with audience expectations for nostalgia, a key driver of Disney’s $7 billion remake revenue since Alice in Wonderland in 2010. Film critic Victoria Luxford told the BBC, “These films are marketed on nostalgia, so to speak of [the original] negatively seemed puzzling.”

The backlash against Snow White has sparked a broader reckoning at Disney. The Daily Mail reported on April 4, 2025, that the studio shelved a planned Tangled remake, signaling a retreat from ambitious live-action projects. CEO Bob Iger’s omission of Snow White during the Q4 2024 earnings call, while praising Lilo & Stitch and Zootopia 2, underscored the film’s status as a corporate embarrassment. X posts, like @Phoenix2A_1980s on March 23, 2025, celebrated the flop with “Go woke, go fcking broke,” reflecting a sentiment that Disney’s DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) focus alienated its core audience. The studio’s decision to limit Zegler’s press exposure, including a press-free Segovia premiere and a scaled-back Los Angeles event, was seen as damage control, with @Bubblebathgirl on March 30, 2025, claiming Disney “cut her out of her own press tour.”

Zegler’s Career in Jeopardy

Zegler’s rant and the Snow White flop have left her career precarious. The Daily Mail reported on March 13, 2025, that Disney insiders viewed her as “out of control,” with one telling Page Six, “The company doesn’t know what to do with Zegler.” Her lack of confirmed film roles post-Snow White has fueled speculation of a Hollywood blacklist, with @DC_Draino on March 27, 2025, declaring her “kryptonite to all the major studios.” Her next project, a West End production of Evita starting June 14, 2025, is struggling, with the London Palladium reporting low ticket sales despite prices starting at £29.50. Madonna, who played Eva Perón in the 1996 film, reportedly felt “slighted” by Zegler’s failure to acknowledge her, adding to her challenges.

Zegler’s defenders argue she’s been unfairly scapegoated. Vanity Fair praised her “preternaturally gifted” performance, and Refinery29 framed her as a Latina actress targeted in an anti-Latine climate. Film critic Kelechi Ehenulo told the BBC that actors from underrepresented backgrounds, like Zegler, often become “targets for backlash” in culture wars. Supporters on X, like @mazza_justice on May 4, 2025, decried the narrative of her “shattered” career as exaggerated. However, the loss of allies, including DeBose and Jonah Platt, who called her “immature” in a deleted Instagram rant, has weakened her position.

The Broader Implications: Disney’s Reckoning

The Snow White debacle has exposed vulnerabilities in Disney’s remake strategy. The studio’s 15-year run of live-action remakes, which generated hits like The Lion King ($1.6 billion), has faltered with recent flops like Pinocchio (streaming-only) and Mufasa: The Lion King ($700 million but underperforming). Lilo & Stitch’s $100 million opening in April 2025, driven by nostalgia and minimal controversy, highlights what Snow White lacked. Reddit users on r/blankies speculated that Disney may pivot to safer properties like The Emperor’s New Groove, avoiding divisive reimaginings.

Zegler’s rant underscores the risks of unchecked social media activism in Hollywood. Unlike Halle Bailey, who navigated The Little Mermaid’s backlash with grace, Zegler’s confrontational approach alienated a broad swath of fans. Disney’s failure to publicly support her, contrasted with its scapegoating via Variety leaks, has drawn criticism from outlets like Awards Daily, which argued, “She did not reimagine this disaster.” The studio’s DEI push, while well-intentioned, has been criticized for prioritizing optics over storytelling, with X user @AGHamilton29 on March 26, 2025, noting Disney “stuck with her as she trashed the audience.”

Conclusion

Rachel Zegler’s latest rant, lashing out at critics and Hollywood executives, has backfired disastrously, cementing her role as the scapegoat for Snow White’s catastrophic flop. Her comments, from dismissing the original film to her divisive political posts, alienated fans and fueled a narrative of “woke” overreach, with Disney projected to lose $115 million. The studio’s retreat from Zegler, evidenced by limited press and shelved remakes, reflects a broader reckoning with its live-action strategy. While Zegler’s defenders argue she’s a victim of cultural and racial bias, her loss of industry allies and lack of new roles suggest a steep road ahead. As Disney grapples with the fallout, the Snow White saga serves as a stark reminder: in a polarized world, a princess’s voice can either enchant or unravel a fairy tale.