The 2025 Disney live-action film Snow White, starring Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, underperformed at the box office despite high expectations. While some attributed the film’s failure to Gadot’s support of Israel and the political tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war, Gadot clarified in a recent interview that this was only one of several contributing factors and that the failure was the result of a combination of issues.
Political Pressures and Behind-the-Scenes Controversies
Gal Gadot, an Israeli actress and former Israeli soldier, emphasized that after the Hamas attacks in October 2023 and the onset of the Gaza conflict, there was intense pressure within Hollywood to take a stand against Israel. She said these pressures affected actors, including herself, and triggered reactions from some groups that impacted the film.
Gadot’s co-star in the film, Rachel Zegler, had expressed support for Palestine prior to the film’s release, and the differing views between the two actresses regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict sparked controversies and rumors about tensions behind the scenes. However, Gadot stated that she and Zegler had a good relationship during filming and shared joyful moments together.
Other Factors Behind the Box Office Failure
Gadot further explained that the film’s failure was not solely due to political pressures and that multiple factors contributed to its lack of success, including:
- Negative reviews from critics who found the film confusing and disappointing.
- Poor audience engagement regardless of political issues.
- Extremely high production costs of approximately $270 million compared to a global revenue of less than $210 million.
Gadot’s Response to the Pressures and Controversies
In interviews, Gadot revealed that after the release, some critics and Israel opponents reacted to her personally and judged her more as an Israeli actress than an artist. She said, “This perspective caused my answers to questions to be somewhat emotional, and this pressure affected the film.”
However, she also admitted that the success or failure of a film depends on many factors and is never guaranteed. She added, “Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don’t.”
Conclusion
Based on Gadot’s comments and various perspectives, it seems the failure of the 2025 film Snow White was not solely a product of political tensions or pressure on actors to take sides regarding Israel and Palestine. Instead, it was a complex mix of negative reviews, lack of audience attraction, and high production costs that played significant roles. This highlights that the success or failure of large, expensive films is a multifaceted issue and cannot be reduced to just one factor such as political controversies.
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