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Rachel Zegler Seen in NYC Following Disappointing ‘Snow White’ Box Office Performance
Actress Rachel Zegler appeared somber during a recent sighting in New York City, in the wake of the underwhelming box office debut of Disney’s live-action Snow White remake. The film, starring Zegler as the titular character, has faced criticism and controversy, impacting its theatrical run, which is discussed further below.
Actress Spotted Walking Dog Amidst Film’s Struggles
Zegler, 23, whose outspoken opinions have been suggested as a contributing factor to the film’s poor performance, was photographed walking her goldendoodle, Lenny. She was casually dressed in an oversized denim jacket over a blue top, grey sweatpants, and Adidas sneakers, seemingly reflecting the disappointment surrounding the movie’s reception.
Her dark hair was styled back with a black headband, and she appeared to be wearing no makeup, with a green star-shaped pimple patch visible on her forehead.
Disney Faces Potential Losses on ‘Snow White’ Remake
Reports indicate that Disney is anticipating a significant loss, potentially around $115 million, on the Snow White remake. This comes after the film was targeted by online campaigns, including review-bombing, and boycott threats stemming from differing political viewpoints of Zegler and co-star Gal Gadot.
The production budget for Snow White is reportedly $270 million, excluding marketing and distribution expenses, making its path to profitability challenging given current returns.
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‘Tangled’ Remake Reportedly Shelved Amid Strategy Reevaluation
The lackluster performance of Snow White has reportedly led Disney to reassess its live-action remake strategy. Production on a live-action adaptation of 2010’s Tangled, a Rapunzel retelling, has been paused as the studio re-evaluates its approach.
Critical and Audience Reception of ‘Snow White’
Critical reviews for Snow White were mixed, with some reviewers pointing out issues with the CGI depiction of the dwarves and the updated narrative that shifted Snow White’s character towards a more overtly feminist role.
Rachel Zegler, 23, looked somber as she was pictured out in New York City this week, following the humiliating box office performance of her latest film, Snow White
Behind-the-Scenes Tensions and Social Media Controversy
Sources suggest that Zegler and Gadot experienced friction after filming concluded, possibly related to their contrasting perspectives on Israeli-Palestinian relations. Gadot, formerly of the IDF and a vocal supporter of Israel, and Zegler, who sparked controversy with “free Palestine” social media posts shortly after the Snow White trailer release, reportedly had differing viewpoints.
Variety reported that producer Marc Platt traveled to New York to advise Zegler on her social media activity. Subsequently, Zegler reportedly agreed to have a social media professional review her posts before publication.
Following this, Zegler shared behind-the-scenes images from the Snow White set on Instagram; Gadot was noticeably absent from these photos.
Zegler’s Comments on Original ‘Snow White’ Film Draw Criticism
Further controversy arose from Zegler’s remarks about the original 1937 animated Snow White movie. She described the prince character as “weird” and suggested he was portrayed as a “stalker.” In the remake, the prince character was removed and replaced with a Robin Hood-esque figure.
Zegler Attends Broadway Opening Amid Box Office Reports
Earlier in the week, Zegler attended the opening night of George Clooney’s Broadway play, “Good Night And Good Luck,” in New York. This appearance occurred amidst reports of significant projected losses for the Snow White film.
The production budget for Snow White is estimated to be as high as $270 million. Factoring in extensive marketing and advertising costs, the film needs to gross significantly more than its budget to achieve profitability.
‘Snow White’ Box Office Performance Falls Short
Snow White’s opening weekend box office in North America was a disappointing $42.2 million. The film experienced a dramatic 66% drop in ticket sales in its second weekend.
As of recent reporting, domestic box office revenue stands at $77 million, with a global total of $168.6 million.
The film received a 40% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but audience ratings are higher at 72%.
IMDb Review-Bombing and Production Controversies
Snow White faced review-bombing on IMDb, receiving a user score of 1.6 out of 10 from over 325,000 votes, prompting IMDb to issue a warning about “unusual voting activity.”
Even before release, the film was surrounded by controversy, from the casting of Zegler, who is of Colombian and Polish heritage, to the decision to use CGI for the dwarves instead of casting actors with dwarfism.
Amidst these controversies, Zegler’s political views, particularly her “free Palestine” tweet, garnered criticism, with some claiming the studio was unprepared for her outspokenness.
The actress, who has been criticized for the film bombing in theaters amid a string of controversies, was spotted walking her dog
Earlier this week Zegler put on a brave face while attending the opening of George Clooney’s Broadway play Good Night And Good Luck, in New York
It comes amid claims that Disney will likely suffer a loss of $115 million from the film; Zegler seen in a still
Disney’s Live-Action Remake Strategy Under Scrutiny
For the past 15 years, Disney has aggressively pursued a live-action remake strategy, starting with Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland.
While early remakes like Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book achieved both commercial and critical success, more recent remakes have been criticized as uninspired and lacking originality.
Several remakes, including Robert Zemeckis’ Pinocchio and Peter Pan and Wendy, have been released directly on Disney+ as streaming exclusives, bypassing theatrical releases altogether.
Box office returns for recent remakes, such as the Lion King prequel Mufasa, have also indicated declining audience interest in Disney’s remake formula.
Sean Bailey, the Disney film production head who championed the live-action remake strategy, departed the company last year.
Despite the changing landscape, projects like live-action versions of Lilo and Stitch and Moana are still in development. However, the live-action Tangled remake has been reportedly put on hold, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ariana DeBose’s Social Media Post and Subsequent Apology
Ariana DeBose, Zegler’s former co-star from West Side Story, recently drew attention for a social media post that appeared to criticize Zegler in the wake of the Snow White release.
DeBose shared a quote from Jonah Platt, son of Snow White producer Marc Platt, which seemed to blame Zegler for the film’s underperformance.
The now-deleted Instagram post, set against a rose background, stated: “Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”
DeBose removed the post and claimed she was unaware it pertained to Zegler, stating in a follow-up post that she “did not do any research on where this quote came from, nor did I know of the connection until it was pointed out to me.”
Notably, her clarification did not include an apology to Zegler. DeBose asserted she frequently shares quotes on narcissism and will ensure origins are clarified in the future.
Rumors of a rift between DeBose and Zegler circulated during the 2022 awards season campaign for West Side Story.
A live-action remake of 2010 Rapunzel retelling Tangled (pictured) has been shelved indefinitely following Snow White’s muted performance at the box office
Amid the film’s many controversies Rachel was criticized for her political views after tweeting ‘free Palestine’ with claims the studio ‘didn’t know what to do’ with the outspoken actress
Rachel’s former West Side Story co-star Ariana DeBose recently made an embarrassing backtrack after inadvertently trashing her (pictured together in 2021)
DeBose directly quoted Snow White producer Marc Platt’s nepo baby son Jonah, who recently slammed ‘narcissistic’ Zegler in an now-deleted tirade, however she has now insisted she was unaware the message was about Zegler
Jonah Platt’s Criticism of Zegler
Although the nature of any discord between them remains unclear, Zegler did not publicly congratulate DeBose on her Best Supporting Actress Oscar win.
Last week, producer Marc Platt’s son, Jonah Platt, voiced strong criticism of Zegler, seemingly attributing the film’s failure to her.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Jonah Platt labeled Zegler as “immature” and implied “narcissistic” tendencies.
His comments were made in response to a fan comment referencing a Variety article that claimed Marc Platt had traveled to New York to address Zegler’s controversial pro-Palestine social media posts.
The fan’s comment questioned whether Marc Platt had “reprimanded a young actress” for exercising free speech, deeming it “creepy.”
Jonah Platt responded with an assertive statement, confirming his father’s trip and defending his actions as necessary to address Zegler’s introduction of “personal politics” into promotion for a major Disney film, impacting numerous employees.
Marc Platt’s son Jonah shocked fans last week when he unleashed his fury on Zegler, seemingly blaming her for the film flopping
He did so in response to a fan comment, which referenced an article published by Variety that claimed Marc had flown to New York to speak to Zegler about her controversial pro-Palestine social media posts
Platt, who hosts the Being Jewish Podcast, argued that Zegler’s actions “clearly” harmed the film’s box office prospects.
He asserted that free speech does not extend to employment contexts without potential repercussions.
Platt argued that Zegler had “hijacked the conversation” for “immature desires,” potentially jeopardizing the livelihoods of colleagues and crew members dependent on the film’s success.
Jonah Platt concluded his remarks by stating, “Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.” He later deleted the rant after facing challenges regarding Gadot’s pro-Israel stance.