Disney‘s remake of Snow White is scheduled to hit theaters next week, but if the film’s rollout is any indication, the company doesn’t appear to have high hopes for box office success following comments by its leading lady.
The new live-action version of the animated film, starring Rachel Zegler, had a scaled-back promotional event in Spain on Wednesday. Zegler attended, though her co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen in the film, was not. Disney has said that press members, content creators, and families were a part of the promotional event.
Zegler’s past social media statements expressing hope that President Donald Trump and his supporters “never know peace” after he won the 2024 election generated controversy. In a series of Instagram stories, Zegler wrote, “f*** Donald Trump.” She has since apologized for these remarks, saying she “let my emotions get the best of me.”
In August 2024, Zegler advocated on X to “free Palestine,” a phrase echoed by many who support Gaza. Gadot, who is Israeli, posted, “I stand with Israel you should too” in October 2023 following the Hamas terrorist group’s attack.
The movie also caught flak for replacing actors with computer-generated characters.
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Box office earnings predictions for the remake of the Disney classic are not particularly high. Current estimates put the film opening with $53 million in North America. Disney’s live-action remake of Cinderella, released in 2015, earned almost $68 million in its debut.
Disney’s last major theatrical release, Captain America: Brave New World, has also not performed particularly well. The Marvel film has struggled to cross the $400 million mark globally since its release on Feb. 14. The film’s financial battle comes after lead actor Anthony Mackie claimed the superhero should not represent “the term ‘America.’” Mackie later attempted to walk back the comments by saying he is “a proud American.”