Gal Gadot Breaks Silence on 'Snow White' Disaster
The Snow White press tour might be over, but the war of words is just beginning. Gal Gadot is officially refusing to take the "L" quietly regarding the catastrophic box office performance of Disney's live-action remake. The Wonder Woman star, 40, went on an Israeli TV show and basically dropped a bomb on the industry, theorizing that the movie didn't tank because of bad CGI or a tired script… it tanked because of the massive target on her back regarding her nationality.
Gadot, who served as a combat fitness instructor in the IDF, didn't hold back during her appearance on The A Talks. While Disney executives are likely hiding under their desks trying to figure out how they lost hundreds of millions of dollars, Gadot is pointing the finger directly at the political climate. She claims there was an insurmountable "pressure" on celebrities to speak out against her home country, creating a toxic environment that swallowed the film whole.
"There's pressure on celebrities to speak against Israel," Gadot fired off in Hebrew, according to translations circulating from Variety. She didn't name names in that specific breath, but you don't need a detective to figure out who she is talking about. Her co-star, Rachel Zegler, spent the entire promotional window for the film loudly supporting Palestine. Talk about an awkward day at the office.
Gadot continued her defense, claiming she tried to give context to the situation in Israel, but the haters weren't listening. "I was disappointed that the movie was incredibly affected by all of that," she admitted. This is the first time a major star attached to the project has explicitly blamed political backlash for the movie's failure. Usually, stars give the standard "we are just proud of the art" speech. Not Gal. She is calling it like she sees it, and she thinks she was sabotaged.
The $87 Million Nightmare
Let's look at the numbers because they are absolutely brutal. Snow White didn't just underperform; it was a financial bloodbath. The film scraped together a humiliating $87 million in North America back in March. For a Disney live-action tentpole? That is virtually unheard of. It is box office poison.
To put this trainwreck into perspective, look at the other remakes. The Little Mermaid hauled in nearly $300 million domestically, and that movie had its own share of controversies. The Lilo & Stitch remake? A massive smash with $421 million. Snow White is sitting in the corner with less than $100 million, looking like the biggest loser in the Mouse House's history.
Disney is bleeding cash on this project, and insiders are whispering that heads are going to roll. The fact that the film couldn't even crack the $100 million mark domestically is a sign that audiences actively stayed away. Was it the political infighting? Or did fans just hate the vibe? Gadot seems convinced it was a targeted boycott against her, but critics are arguing the movie just didn't connect.
The fans have been ruthless online, dissecting the failure with zero mercy:
"Gal thinks it failed because of politics? Maybe it failed because nobody asked for this remake and the chemistry was nonexistent."
"It's not political, it's just bad. Stop blaming the audience for not spending money on a mediocre cash grab."
"Disney needs to stop hiring people who hate each other to lead their billion-dollar franchises. The tension is palpable."
The Rachel Zegler 'Civil War'
The elephant in the room is Rachel Zegler. The actress played Snow White to Gadot's Evil Queen, but the rivalry wasn't limited to the screen. While Gadot was posting about hostages and praying for Israel, Zegler was posting "Free Palestine" on X and thanking fans for watching the trailer in the same breath. It was a marketing nightmare.
We are hearing whispers from set sources that the vibe between these two was icy at best. While Gadot told the press that they "laughed and talked" and "had fun," the body language during the few promotional appearances they did together said otherwise. You can't fake chemistry when one lead is actively campaigning for a cause that the other lead views as an attack on her homeland.
Zegler has been unapologetic about her stance. In a profile for i-D magazine, she made it clear she wasn't going to shut up just to sell tickets. "A platform becomes a responsibility," she declared. She even acknowledged that her outspokenness could be her "downfall," stating, "My heart doesn't have a fence around it." That is a direct shot at anyone trying to muzzle her, including, presumably, Disney PR reps who were likely tearing their hair out.
Producer's Son Goes Nuclear
If you thought Gadot was being subtle, wait until you hear what Jonah Platt had to say. Jonah is the son of the film's mega-producer, Marc Platt, and he decided to go completely scorched earth on Zegler after the box office numbers came in. In a move that shocked the industry, Platt publicly blamed Zegler for sinking the ship.
In a since-deleted Instagram comment (because of course it was deleted after the lawyers probably screamed at him), Platt slammed Zegler for "dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie." He didn't mince words. He accused her of taking a multi-million dollar paycheck to do publicity and then using that platform to hurt the film.
"Her actions clearly hurt the film's box office," Platt wrote. This is the smoking gun. It proves that behind the scenes, the producers were furious with Zegler. They believe she alienated a massive chunk of the audience. It is rare to see a producer's family member openly attack the lead actress of their own movie, but clearly, emotions are running high when tens of millions of dollars are vanishing into thin air.
Gadot's PR Cleanup Attempt
After Gadot's comments on Israeli TV started going viral and headlines began to paint her as bitter, she quickly tried to do some damage control. On Sunday, Aug. 17, she took to her Instagram Story to walk back her statement… slightly. It had the stench of a statement written by a panicked publicist trying to stop the bleeding.
She clarified that she felt critics attacked her in a "very personal, almost visceral way" because she is Israeli. "They saw me first and foremost as an Israeli, not as an actress," she wrote. She tried to soften the blow by adding, "Of course, the film didn't fail solely because of external pressures."
"Success is never guaranteed," she added. Yeah, Gal, we know. But the backtrack feels a little too little, too late. She already said what she said. She believes the political "pressure" was the main culprit. Adding a disclaimer about "many factors" is just standard Hollywood speak to avoid getting sued or totally alienated from the studio.
Fan Theories: Was It Sabotage?
The internet is running wild with theories. Some fans believe Zegler intentionally tried to tank the movie to make a statement, while others think Gadot's presence was the poison pill from the start. The clash of ideologies turned the comments section of every Snow White post into a battlefield.
One side of the internet was boycotting because of Zegler's "woke" comments and anti-monarchy stance on the original film. The other side was boycotting because of Gadot's IDF service. It was a lose-lose situation for Disney. They managed to alienate almost every demographic possible.
"Disney really thought they could put a pro-IDF soldier and a pro-Palestine activist in the same movie and it would go well? Who approved this casting?"
"Jonah Platt is right. Zegler took the money and then trashed the bag. You can't have it both ways."
"Gal blaming politics is a cop-out. The movie looked cheap and the songs were bad. Take accountability."
Disney's Silence is Deafening
Notice who isn't talking? Disney. The Mouse House has gone radio silent on this mess. Usually, they would be spinning positive numbers or talking about streaming success, but they have buried Snow White like a dirty secret. There is no sequel talk. No theme park integration. It is being erased from the legacy in real-time.
Sources tell us that executives are furious at how this played out. They expected a billion-dollar hit, and instead, they got a political headache and a financial write-off. The feud between the stars has overshadowed the actual movie, and now that the dust is settling, the finger-pointing is getting ugly.
With Gadot speaking out and Platt attacking Zegler, the bridge is burned. Don't expect a reunion anytime soon. Snow White didn't just bite the poison apple; it choked on it, and nobody is coming to wake this franchise up.
