JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Rachel Zegler’s Snow White becomes her second-highest grosser despite backlash and box office struggles
Despite controversies and a disappointing theatrical run, Disney’s Snow White has become Rachel Zegler’s second-biggest hit globally, grossing USD 142 million so far.
Despite swirling controversies and underwhelming box office performance, Disney’s latest live-action outing, Snow White, has earned Rachel Zegler, who portrays the titular princess in the film, a major milestone. With its modest USD 142 million gross so far—out of which USD 77 million comes from the domestic market—the Mouse House tentpole is now the actress’s second-highest-grossing title.
Directed by Marc Webb and also starring Gal Gadot and Andrew Burnap, the film was made on a massive USD 250 million budget, which does not include marketing costs. After two weekends among fans and only collecting disappointing figures as mentioned above, experts are projecting the film to end its theatrical run with only USD 195 to USD 200 million in its kitty. If this forecast manifests, Snow White would end up joining the ranks of other underwhelming Disney live-action remakes like The Little Mermaid, Dumbo, and more.
Zegler is being partially blamed for the film bombing commercially. Though the 23-year-old received praise from critics for her performance, her press interactions during the film's production and right before it was set to release invited negative buzz. She first called the original 1937 Snow White version weird and outdated during a red carpet press dialogue and then went on to make things worse by shouting her political stance, which included anti-Trump remarks, from the rooftop. As the film’s debut drew closer, Zegler backtracked on her former statement, but by then, it was too late.
Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen in Snow White, openly expressed her Zionist views, which audiences didn’t like, thus further affecting the film’s financial prospects.
Zegler’s top grosser remains Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which raked in USD 349 million globally. Her other notable films include Shazam: Fury of the Gods and West Side Story. These ventures collected USD 134 million and USD 76 million, respectively.
While its monetary yield is far from what Disney must’ve hoped, Snow White’s box office standing is a silver lining for Zegler.
As the film nears the end of its theatrical run, it reinforces the unpredictability of even the most established properties in today’s market. Snow White’s legacy may serve more as a case study of how PR missteps can kill even the most lucrative of productions.
Latest Articles
