Insiders Reveal What Went Wrong With Disney's 'Snow White' And Why It Was Doomed To Fail

Disney's live-action "Snow White" was supposed to be a billion-dollar blockbuster but instead became one of the studio's biggest misfires.

Starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, the film was plagued by controversy, from its lead actress's social media posts to behind-the-scenes tensions and costly reshoots.

Disney executives began analyzing what went wrong as the movie opened to a dismal $87 million worldwide. Insiders have revealed that a combination of public backlash, production challenges, and poor marketing decisions contributed to Snow White’s disastrous release.

The controversy surrounding "Snow White" began months before its release, with lead actress Zegler at the center.

On August 12, 2024, just three days after she introduced the film's first official trailer at Disney’s D23 event, Zegler took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank fans, writing, "and always remember, free Palestine."

The post garnered 8.8 million views—nearly four times the views of her initial promotional post for the trailer.

Insiders told Variety that Disney executives were shocked that their lead actress would mix the promotion of a $270 million movie with a political statement. One insider noted, "She didn't understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone."

The fallout from Zegler's post was immediate, with backlash spreading across social media. Insiders shared that producer Marc Platt even flew to New York to speak directly with Zegler about the situation. However, she refused to remove the post.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated as threats against her co-star Gal Gadot—who is Israeli—began to rise, prompting Disney to beef up security for her and her family.

Three months later, following the U.S. presidential election, Zegler made headlines again following a controversial post.

She wrote on Instagram, "F-ck Donald Trump" and "May Trump supporters … never know peace."

For Disney, this was a breaking point. The studio was reportedly already struggling with an audience backlash against "Snow White," and Zegler's comments alienated half the potential moviegoers.

Disney executives knew that allowing such posts to go unchecked was damaging the film's prospects. Platt again stepped in, urging Zegler to tone down her online activity.

After some back-and-forth, Zegler reluctantly agreed to work with a social media consultant—paid for by Disney—who would review her posts before publication.

The controversies surrounding Zegler weren't the only challenges "Snow White" faced. The film's production was riddled with problems from the start.

According to Variety, delays caused by COVID-19, a fire on set, and the 2023 Hollywood actors' strike resulted in multiple scheduling disruptions. When test screenings yielded negative feedback, costly reshoots were ordered, further inflating the film's budget to an estimated $270 million.

Despite the studio's efforts, "Snow White" failed to connect with audiences.

An executive at a rival studio told the outlet, "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."

In reality, "Snow White" failed to reach even the low end of box office projections, opening to just $43 million domestically.

While Zegler was at the center of most controversies, her co-star Gal Gadot also became entangled in the fallout.

Following Zegler’s political statement, death threats against Gadot surged. Insiders told Variety that Disney had to pay for additional security for the actress, a mother of four.

Unlike Zegler, however, Gadot carefully navigated the situation by limiting her public statements to expressions of support for civilian hostages taken during the October 7 Hamas attack.

Despite rumors of a feud between the two lead actresses, sources said Zegler and Gadot got along well during filming. However, things became awkward during the film's press tour.

Disney reportedly contributed to the perception of tension by scheduling them for separate promotional events. At the March 15 premiere, red carpet interviews were scrapped in favor of photo-only appearances, and the two actresses were mostly kept apart.

Inside the El Capitan Theatre, Zegler and Gadot were seated separately, with Zegler sitting two rows ahead of Gadot and her family.

The failure of "Snow White" highlights a broader trend—Disney's live-action remakes are no longer guaranteed hits.

Once a dominant force at the box office, Disney's reimagining of classic animated films has struggled in recent years. Films like "Dumbo" and "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" failed to generate excitement, while "Peter Pan & Wendy" was sent directly to Disney+.

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, likely rendering this latest live-action adventure to D+ for many potential ticket buyers. A possible saving grace? A feeble marketplace where "Snow White" could stay awhile—as many family films have—despite the lackluster debut."

With "Snow White" failing to live up to its potential, Disney now faces tough decisions about the future of its live-action division.

As the studio reflects on what went wrong, it is clear that the combination of a troubled production, a divisive lead actress, and growing skepticism over unnecessary remakes contributed to the film's downfall.