Gal Gadot says 'pressure' to speak out against Israel hurt 'Snow White' at box office
The "Wonder Woman" star, 40, discussed the financial disappointment of the Disney live-action remake during a recent appearance on "The A Talks," an Israeli TV show, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
Gadot, who was born in Israel and was a combat fitness instructor in the Israel Defense Forces during her mandatory two years of service, theorized the movie's performance was affected by pressure on celebrities to speak out against her home country. Rachel Zegler, who played Snow White in the film opposite Gadot's Evil Queen, was outspoken in her support for Palestine ahead of the movie's release.
"There's pressure on celebrities to speak against Israel," said Gadot, speaking in Hebrew, according to a translation published by Variety. "And, you know, it happened. I can always explain and try to give context about what's happening here. And I always do that. But in the end, people make their own decisions. And I was disappointed that the movie was incredibly affected by all of that and that it didn't do well at the box office. But that's how it goes. You win some, you lose some."
Despite speculation of bad blood between the two "Snow White" actresses, though, Gadot also said she enjoyed working with Zegler. "We laughed and we talked, we had fun," she said, per The Hollywood Reporter. Gadot added that she was "positive the movie was going to be a huge hit" before its release.
But "Snow White" underperformed at the box office in March, earning $87 million in North America. By comparison, Disney's live-action "The Little Mermaid" remake made $298 million at the domestic box office, and the "Lilo & Stitch" remake took in $421 million domestically.
After the film's poor performance, Jonah Platt, son of "Snow White" producer Marc Platt, publicly blamed Zegler, who posted "free Palestine" on X in August 2024 after thanking fans for watching the movie's trailer.
In a since-deleted Instagram comment, Platt slammed Zegler "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." Platt added that the actress' "actions clearly hurt the film's box office."
Zegler never directly responded to Platt's claims. But in a June i-D magazine profile, the "West Side Story" star defended voicing support for Palestine and argued that "a platform becomes a responsibility, and that responsibility is ours to use as we please."
Zegler noted "there are obviously things that are at stake by being outspoken," but "nothing is worth innocent lives," adding, "My heart doesn't have a fence around it, and if that is considered my downfall? There are worse things."
Gadot, meanwhile, told Variety in March that her "conscience is clean" about advocating for hostages of Hamas and speaking out in support of Israel. "I am praying for better days for all," she told the outlet at the time. "I want everybody to have good life and prosperity, and the ability to raise their children in a safe environment."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
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