Death threats against Israeli actress Gal Gadot escalated after her "Snow White" co-star Rachel Zegler posted a pro-Palestine message alongside film promotion in August 2024, Variety reported, forcing Disney to increase security for Gadot while attempting to address Zegler's controversial social media activity ahead of the film's release, which ultimately disappointed at the box office with just $87 million worldwide.
In August 2024, Zegler combined the promotion of the film's trailer with the political statement "and always remember, free Palestine." The post, which garnered 8.8 million views, led to death threats against Israeli actress Gal Gadot, requiring Disney to provide additional security for the mother of four.
"She didn't understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone," an insider told Variety about Zegler's social media activity. The situation escalated in November when Zegler posted anti-Trump messages following the presidential election, which concerned Disney executives who worried about alienating potential audiences.
Producer Marc Platt traveled to New York to speak directly with Zegler about her social media presence. These conversations eventually led to Disney hiring a social media consultant to review her posts before the film's March 21 release – a rare step for a studio to take with a lead actor.
The film's $43 million domestic opening fell below industry expectations of $45-55 million. "You can't say that a live-action remake of the most iconic film in the vault that cost $270 million and has been reshot multiple times opening to $50 million is OK. The math does not work. That movie should be a billion-dollar movie," a rival studio executive told Variety.
Zegler's public relations challenges with Disney began during the 2022 awards season when she complained on social media about not being invited to the Oscars for "West Side Story," a Disney-distributed film. Sean Bailey, then-president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, had declined to release her from "Snow White" production in London, but after her public complaints, the Academy provided her with a ticket.
The actress later criticized the original 1937 "Snow White" at a D23 event, stating that the prince "literally stalks" the heroine. One top agent suggested that Disney should have addressed these comments immediately: "The first time she shoots her mouth off, you nip it in the bud." Box office analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations said, "They say all press is good press, but in 'Snow White's' case, they were unabashedly wrong. Too much negative controversy surrounded this film for years, and it didn't help that the reviews were subpar."
Despite reports suggesting tension between the film's stars, sources told Variety that Zegler and Gadot maintained a good relationship during production, with awkwardness only emerging closer to the release. However, the studio's decision to schedule separate junket events for the actresses and keep them mostly apart at the March 15 premiere – where Zegler sat two rows ahead of Gadot and her family – fueled the perception of a rift.
The film faced additional challenges, including COVID-related production delays, a set fire, and the actors' strike disrupting reshoots. These issues came as Disney's once-reliable live-action remakes have shown weakness at the box office, with "Dumbo" and "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" underperforming and "Peter Pan & Wendy" redirected to Disney+.
Given the years of controversy surrounding the production, Disney had reportedly given up hope that the film could overcome its challenges by the time it reached theaters.
