The Real Reason Snow White Fell Flat (And No, It’s Not Rachel Zegler)

The internet loves a scapegoat, but blaming Rachel Zegler for this movie’s struggles is just lazy. Disney’s latest remake had bigger problems—like awkward performances, questionable creative choices, and an overall lack of magic.

Photo: Disney

​From the start, the film faced controversy. Casting Rachel Zegler, a talented Latina actress, as Snow White sparked backlash from certain audiences who felt the character's traditional depiction was being altered. However, for the Di essential to recognize that this adaptation aims to resonate with today's children, much like the original did with its audience in 1937. 

Moreover, Zegler's candid remarks about modernizing the character and critiquing the original 1937 film's (please, note the 1937!) outdated themes added fuel to the fire. Her emphasis on crafting a more empowered Snow White was met with both applause and criticism, highlighting the challenges of reimagining beloved classics for contemporary audiences. ​

Let's Address the Gal Gadot in the Room...

In Disney's eyes, Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen should have been a slam dunk. But somehow, her performance ended up feeling...off. Instead of delivering a genuinely menacing villain, Gadot’s take on the Queen wavered between campy and just plain awkward. It was like she couldn’t decide if she was playing this straight or as a parody.

A great villain can save a mediocre film (*see: Cate Blanchett in Cinderella), but here, it felt like a missed opportunity. There’s a fine line between Disney villain iconic and Halloween-costume-level overacting, and unfortunately for Disney, Gadot landed on the wrong side of it.

Additionally, if there’s one thing that can tank a film before it even hits theaters, it’s off-screen drama—and Snow White had plenty. Beyond the social media outrage over Zegler’s comments, there were reports of tension between her and Gadot due to their differing political stances (Zegler has been vocal about her support for Palestine, while Gadot is a loud supporter of Israel).

While this might not have directly impacted the final product, it certainly shaped the public’s perception of the film. When audiences are more interested in the drama around the movie than the movie itself, that’s never a good sign.

Despite all the noise, Snow White’s biggest issue was simple: audiences just weren’t excited for it. With an $87 million global opening against a reported $270 million budget, the numbers weren’t adding up. Sure, internet trolls will say it’s because of “woke casting” or “Disney going too far,” but the reality is that audiences will show up for good remakes. The problem isn’t that Snow White was "progressive"—the problem is that it just wasn’t very good.

Disney has leaned hard into live-action remakes, but audiences are getting tired of them—especially when they don’t bring anything fresh to the table. A clunky villain, awkward CGI, and a script that didn’t quite know what it wanted to be? That’s a recipe for a movie that was never going to succeed, no matter who was playing the lead.

Blaming Zegler for Snow White flopping is the easy way out. If anything, she was the bright spot in a film that didn’t quite know what it wanted to be.

The takeaway here? Disney needs to rethink its live-action strategy. Instead of churning out remakes that feel more like corporate decisions than creative ones, maybe it’s time to step back and focus on making movies that actually have a reason to exist. Because at the end of the day, audiences don’t want “modern” just for the sake of it—they want magic. And unfortunately, Snow White just didn’t deliver.