Gal Gadot softens claim anti-Israel rhetoric doomed ‘Snow White’
Actress concedes ‘many factors’ determine whether movies succeed, after saying the live action remake was ‘incredibly affected’ by those speaking out against Israel
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Israeli actress Gal Gadot was forced to issue a clarification on Sunday after saying last week that anti-Israel rhetoric was to blame for the box office failure of Disney’s live-action “Snow White” remake, in which she starred as the Evil Queen, alongside Rachel Zegler’s Snow White.
In an interview with an Israeli talk show last week, Gadot said she initially believed the movie would be a “huge success,” but that changed in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught and the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
“This happens a lot in various industries, including Hollywood,” she said. “There’s pressure on celebrities to speak against Israel.”
“I can always explain and try to give context about what’s happening here,” she said. “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,” she mused. “You win some, you lose some.”
Gadot’s co-star Zegler drew negative attention to the movie last year after she wrote, “Free Palestine” on social media, when sharing the trailer for the remake.
According to an article in Variety at the time, the post prompted the movie’s Jewish producer, Marc Platt, to fly to New York to meet with Zegler face-to-face.
After Gadot’s comments were picked up by international media outlets, however, she took to Instagram on Sunday to clarify her remarks.
“Sometimes we respond to questions from an emotional place. When the film came out, I felt that those who are against Israel criticized me in a very personal, almost visceral way,” wrote the Hollywood star. “They saw me first and foremost as an Israeli, not as an actress. That’s the perspective I spoke from when I answered the question.”
“Of course the film didn’t fail solely because of external pressures,” Gadot continued. “There are many factors that determine why a film succeeds or fails, and success is never guaranteed.”
The live-action remake of the 1937 animated “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” cost Disney $269.4 million to produce, according to Forbes, but earned just $205.5 million at the box office worldwide.
That gap, combined with the marketing costs and various expenses, meant that overall Disney lost roughly $115 million on “Snow White.”
The Times of Israel Community.