The Evil Queen Goes Rogue: Blaming Politics For The Bomb
Gal Gadot is officially done playing nice. The Wonder Woman star has taken the gloves off and is pointing a finger directly at Hollywood's political climate for the catastrophic failure of Disney's live-action Snow White remake. In a move that has publicists screaming into their pillows, Gadot appeared on Israeli television and dropped a bombshell: she believes the movie tanked because people hate Israel, not because the movie was bad. It is the kind of excuse that reeks of desperation, but Gadot is doubling down on the narrative that she was targeted by a biased industry.
During a candid and surprisingly loose appearance on the show "The A Talks," where guests are interviewed by individuals on the autism spectrum, Gadot let her guard down. Maybe she thought the setting was safe, or maybe she is just tired of the silence, but she unleashed a theory that is sending shockwaves through the studio lots. She explicitly stated that the film's "poor box office performance" was partially due to an intense "pressure" in Hollywood to "speak against Israel" amid the ongoing and bloody conflict with Palestine.
This isn't just a casual comment; this is a declaration of war against the critics. Gadot is essentially claiming that the audience's wallet is controlled by geopolitical alliances. "You know, this happens a lot in various industries, including Hollywood," she told the interviewers, practically whispering the quiet part out loud. "There is pressure on celebrities to speak against Israel. And, you know, it happened." She is painting herself as a martyr for her country, suggesting that the reason empty seats plagued theaters wasn't the questionable CGI or the tired remake formula, but a coordinated effort to silence her.
She really thinks we didn't watch it because of politics? No, Gal, we didn't watch it because nobody asked for this remake.
The audacity to blame a global box office disaster on political "pressure" is a bold strategy. It conveniently sidesteps the lackluster trailers, the fan fatigue with Disney remakes, and the endless controversies surrounding her co-star. By framing the failure as a result of antisemitism or anti-Zionist sentiment, Gadot is trying to rewrite the history of one of Disney's biggest embarrassments. But is anyone actually buying this narrative, or is it just the ultimate deflection tactic?
The 'Panic' Backtrack: A Late-Night Instagram Scramble
If you needed proof that Gadot's comments caused a meltdown at Disney HQ, look no further than her Instagram Stories on Sunday. Less than 48 hours after her incendiary comments went viral, the actress was back online, furiously typing out a clarification that smelled like it was drafted by a team of sweating lawyers. The walk-back was swift, awkward, and totally transparent.
Suddenly, the narrative shifted. Gadot claimed she wanted to "expand" on her comments, which is celebrity code for "my agent told me to shut up or I will never work again." She wrote, "The film didn't fail solely because of external pressures." Note the use of the word "solely." She is still clinging to the victim narrative, but now she is sprinkling in some reality to save face. It is a classic PR pivot: acknowledge the mess, dilute the blame, and pray the internet forgets.
She tried to soften the blow by praising the interviewers from "The A Talks," calling them "inspiring" and claiming their questions went "straight to the heart." It is a nice sentiment, but it feels like a shield. She is using the emotional weight of the interview format to justify her "emotional" response. "Sometimes we respond to questions from an emotional place," she wrote. Translation: I said what I really felt, and now I have to pretend I didn't mean it quite that intensely.
Gadot then tried to explain her headspace, writing, "When the film came out, I felt that those who are against Israel criticized me in a very personal, almost visceral way." This is the core of her grievance. She feels attacked not as an actress, but as a national symbol. "They saw me first and foremost as an Israeli, not as an actress," she lamented. While that might be true for some Twitter trolls, does it explain millions of dollars in lost revenue? Highly doubtful.
'You Win Some, You Lose Some': The Dismissive Defense
Before the PR cleanup crew got to her, Gadot's attitude on the TV show was shockingly dismissive of the film's actual quality flaws. After dropping the political bomb, she shrugged off the failure with a flippant, "But that is how it goes. You win some, you lose some." Excuse me? When Disney spends hundreds of millions on a tentpole franchise film, "you lose some" is not an acceptable post-mortem analysis.
This casual attitude suggests a disconnect from reality. Gadot seems to believe that her star power should be enough to transcend bad buzz. She told the interviewers, "I can always explain and try to give context about what is happening here. And I always do that. But in the end, people make their own decisions." It sounds like she is exhausted by the burden of being Hollywood's unofficial ambassador for Israel, a role she has embraced and struggled with simultaneously.
She is acting like the movie was a masterpiece that got cancelled. The reviews were mixed at best! Stop hiding behind the flag.
She admitted she was "disappointed that the movie was incredibly affected by all of that," refusing to entertain the idea that maybe, just maybe, the movie itself was the problem. It is a level of delusion that is common in the A-list bubble. When you are surrounded by "yes men," the only explanation for failure must be a grand conspiracy against you, rather than a bad script or poor casting chemistry.
The Toxic Production: Zegler, CGI, And Chaos
Let's not pretend Gal Gadot was the only issue plaguing this production. The Snow White remake was cursed from the start, and Gadot's attempt to hoard the blame for political reasons ignores the elephant in the room: Rachel Zegler. The film starred Zegler as the titular princess, and her press tour was a disaster of epic proportions. Zegler famously hated on the original cartoon, called the Prince a stalker, and alienated the entire Disney fanbase before a single ticket was sold.
By focusing entirely on the "anti-Israel" pressure, Gadot is conveniently shielding her co-star—or perhaps ignoring her entirely. The film also starred Andrew Burnap as a "Prince Charming stand-in" named Jonathan (because apparently, we can't have real princes anymore), Patrick Page as the Magic Mirror, and Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman. It was a motley crew of talent stuck in a film that didn't know what it wanted to be.
The "external pressures" Gadot speaks of might have played a role in the social media discourse, but the general audience didn't stay away because of geopolitics. They stayed away because the movie looked like a CGI nightmare void of charm. Gal is trying to turn a commercial flop into a political martyrdom, but the math just doesn't add up. Even if every political activist boycotted the film, it doesn't account for the massive lack of interest from the general family demographic.
The Critic Who Loved It: A Lone Voice In The Wilderness
In a twist that makes Gadot's "conspiracy" theory even weirder, the film actually had some defenders in high places. Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman was inexplicably keen on the movie. In his review, he wrote, "With all the turmoil besetting the real world, you would think there might be more important things to inflate into controversies than the pre-release kerfuffles that have plagued 'Snow White.'"
Gleiberman went on to call it "one of the better live-action adaptations of a Disney animated feature," claiming he says that as someone who "mostly doesn't like them." If the critics were on board, why did the audience revolt? This undermines Gadot's claim that the industry was out to get her. The establishment media actually tried to save this film! They gave it a pass, praised the visuals, and tried to ignore the "kerfuffles."
If anything, the critical support proves that the "pressure" Gadot speaks of wasn't universal. The critics judged the film (perhaps too generously), but the ticket buyers made the final call. The disconnect between a glowing Variety review and an empty theater is the real story here. It proves that audiences are tired of being lectured, tired of endless remakes, and tired of celebrities using their movies as political battlegrounds.
The 'Personal' Attack: Is Gal Paranoid?
Gadot's Instagram clarification sheds light on her mindset. She feels "viscerally" attacked. She believes people see her "first and foremost as an Israeli." And while that is undeniably true for her online trolls, is it true for the average moviegoer in Kansas? Probably not. Most families just wanted to see a magical fairy tale, not a referendum on the Middle East.
This level of paranoia is dangerous for a career. If Gadot enters every project believing that the world is judging her nationality rather than her acting, it creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. She becomes defensive, the interviews get awkward, and the "fun" of the movie evaporates. A Disney villain is supposed to be campy and wicked, not embroiled in a geopolitical victimization narrative.
She ended her Instagram plea with a generic platitude: "There are many factors that determine why a film succeeds or fails, and success is never guaranteed." It is the most PR-safe sentence ever written. It is boring. It is safe. And it is a complete 180 from the fiery truth-teller we saw on Israeli TV. Which Gal is the real one? The one blaming the "pressure," or the one reciting the corporate handbook?
Cliffhanger: Will Disney Drop The Evil Queen?
The dust hasn't settled on this yet. Disney is notoriously risk-averse, and they hate nothing more than their stars generating polarizing political headlines. By dragging the company's massive failure into a debate about Israel and Palestine, Gadot has likely infuriated the Mouse House executives. They want their flops to die quietly, not be resurrected as symbols of cultural warfare.
Will this be the end of Gadot's run with Disney? With Wonder Woman 3 already in limbo at DC, Gadot needed Snow White to be a hit. Instead, it is a bomb wrapped in a scandal. If she keeps talking, she might find herself frozen out of more than just the box office. Is she a brave voice speaking truth to power, or a fading star making excuses for a bad performance? The industry is watching, and the knives are out.
