Rachel Zegler Faces Backlash from Producer’s Son, Accused of Hurting ‘Snow White’
The release of Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White has been met with both excitement and controversy. The film, which features Rachel Zegler as the iconic princess, marks another reimagining of a beloved animated classic. However, unlike many of Disney’s recent remakes, this one has sparked a particularly intense debate — one that centers not only on the movie itself but on Zegler’s portrayal of Snow White and her outspoken public persona.
Related: Revealed: ‘Snow White’ Remake Includes Controversial Scene From 1937 Animated Movie
Since its release on March 21, Snow White has failed to perform well at the box office, and this financial struggle has prompted some to place blame on various factors — none more notably than the film’s lead actress. While Zegler’s portrayal of the princess was met with mixed reactions from audiences, it was her comments about the movie and its legacy that seemed to have caused the most significant backlash.
From her criticisms of the original story to remarks about the prince and his role, it became clear that Zegler was committed to bringing a modern and independent take to the classic character. Unfortunately, these changes did not sit well with all viewers, and some began to question whether her approach had contributed to the film’s underperformance.
Related: Rachel Zegler Breaks Silence on ‘Snow White’ Controversy
One of the most vocal critics of Zegler’s public remarks comes from Jonah Platt, the son of iconic Snow White producer Marc Platt. In an Instagram post, Jonah didn’t hold back, accusing Zegler of “hijacking” the movie and distracting from its true purpose.
This accusation was made after a comment from another user, who had criticized Marc Platt’s actions when he flew out to New York to confront Zegler over her comments.
In a now-deleted Instagram comment, one user wrote:
“Your dad flew to NYC to reprimand a young actress? Any words on this? Cuz thatʼs creepy as hell and uncalled for,” the comment read, referencing Marc Platt’s trip to address the actress’s remarks about the film. “People have the right to free speech, no? Shame on your father.”
Jonah’s response was swift and direct, stating:
“You really want to do this? Yeah, my dad, the producer of [an] enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20-year-old employee for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie for which she signed a multi-million dollar contract to get paid and do publicity for. This is called adult responsibility and accountability. And her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office. Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions. Tens of thousands of people worked on that film, and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of all the colleagues and crew and blue-collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful. Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”
Related: ‘Snow White’ Star Faces Death Threats, Rachel Zegler Reportedly Blamed
The controversy surrounding Zegler’s portrayal of Snow White also extends beyond the film itself, involving deeper social and political themes. Zegler has been an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian people in their conflict with Israel, a stance that has put her at odds with her co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Wicked Queen and is Israeli.
Reports indicate that Marc Platt himself had to address Zegler’s comments in person, attempting to convince her to reconsider the impact of her statements on the movie’s promotional campaign.
Zegler’s outspoken political views have led to a wave of backlash from fans who believe that her views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have tainted the promotion of the movie. Some have even suggested that Zegler’s political activism has overshadowed her role as Snow White, diverting attention away from the film’s content and focusing instead on her personal beliefs.
Zegler’s stance on various issues, including her vocal discontent with former President Donald Trump, has also sparked controversy. At one point, she made a public remark saying, “F**k Donald Trump,” and even expressed disdain for his supporters.
Although she later apologized for the comment, the damage was done for many fans who felt that her personal views were inappropriate in the context of her role as Snow White.
Amid these controversies, Zegler posted a video on Instagram expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to play such an iconic character. She acknowledged the challenges of portraying a well-known princess but also emphasized the importance of staying true to her own beliefs and values.
Despite the backlash, Zegler stood by her decisions, underscoring her dedication to the film and its portrayal of Snow White as a more independent and modern character.
As for Snow White, the film’s struggles at the box office are undeniable. With a budget of over $200 million and an additional $300 million spent on marketing, the film has yet to recoup its investment. However, it’s worth noting that films often experience a drop in box office earnings after their opening weekend. Disney may still be hoping to recover some of the costs when the movie is released on Disney+.
What do you think? Should Rachel Zegler shoulder the blame for the struggles of Snow White at the box office? Did her outspoken comments harm the film’s chances? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
I will never see anything with Rachel Zegler in it. She has a big mouth and thinks she has the clout of Meryl Streep. She does not. That has to be earned and she hasn’t earned it yet! Maybe in twenty years…if she’s still around
I do feel that Rachel Zegler is partially to blame but the main blame should fall on the Disney Executives who signed off on this disaster and changed the “role” of Snow White to a more independent character. If you are going to remake such an iconic classic film than you better do it right and not alter from the original. Disney suffered a similar failure on the live action remake of Mulan when they eliminated the singing and most importantly the supporting character of Mushu.
Disney needs to be VERY careful in those animated films it chooses to convert to live action, because not every animated film should be converted. How about coming up with movie ideas that are original, different and ground-breaking, i.e. Toy Story, Inside Out, Monsters Inc. & University. It seems as though Disney no longer knows how to produce an excellent animated film anymore because they are trying to involve politics and personal beliefs into storylines. Instead, they should be adapting traditional stories, i.e. Tangled, Frozen, rather than converting classics to live action. The live action thing is getting overdone because Disney is not being selective about it. Why make a live action version of Lion King? Dumbo? Jungle Book? These were great animated movies and should have stayed that way.
There are a few successes with live action “remakes” or originals, i.e. Maleficent, Cruella, Cinderella. These films were successes because they either brought a fresh approach and added to the backstory of these villains, or, with Cinderella, stuck to the original storyline and did NOT try to modernize it and make it DEI. Until Disney just goes back to entertaining and gets off of their social “soapbox” they will continue to bomb at the box office. Disney is meant to be an escape from reality, NOT immersed in it.
I agree, also what ruined Snow White is the way they choose to do the 7Dwarfs characters. First, 7 mystical creatures, then CG them. They could’ve employed 7 actors instead. I will not watch this version of Snow White.