How Disney Lost Control of the ‘Snow White’ Narrative
Disney’s live-action Snow White has only been in theaters for one weekend, but the vultures are already circling.
A new report from Variety has pulled the curtain back on the film’s troubled production and numerous controversies, conducting something of an autopsy on the latest Disney blockbuster.
Photo: Disney
While much attention has been focused on Rachel Zegler’s inflammatory comments about President Trump, the war between Israel and Hamas, and her complaints about the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs leading up to the release of Snow White, for the sake of my sanity, I want to focus on a different part of the story.
The Decaying Relationship Between Disney and Zegler
Perhaps the most surprising revelation of the Variety report is that the relationship between Zegler and Disney has been frayed for years.
Photo: D23
Lost in Zegler’s avalanche of controversial comments was a seminal moment in 2022, when the actress publicly complained about not being invited to the Academy Awards.
For those who don’t remember, Zegler’s West Side Story was up for best picture at the 2022 Oscars when the actress took to social media to complain that she had not been invited to the ceremony.
According to Vartiey’s report, production on Snow White was underway at the time, and former Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production president Sean Bailey refused to let her attend.
Disney’s Biggest Mistake
Months after the West Side Story controversy, Zegler made her first controversial comments about the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while attending D23.
Photo: Disney
Disney’s decision to remain silent on the matter would not only spark outrage from the film’s core fans but also prove to be the moment that the studio lost control of the narrative surrounding Snow White.
“They say all press is good press. But in ‘Snow White’s’ case, they were unabashedly wrong,” box office analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations told Variety. “Too much negative controversy surrounded this film for years.”
The Imposion
The trouble between Zegler and Disney reached a crescendo last year. First, the actress added “free Palestine” at the end of her social media post promoting Snow White. Then, Zegler took to social media in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election and lashed out at supporters of the newly re-elected Donald Trump.
Photo: Disney
Finally, Disney had enough. Snow White producer Marc Platt met with the actress, who eventually began working with a social media guru (paid by Disney) to vet her posts.
The Damage Was Done
By the time Snow White arrived in theaters last weekend, Disney essentially knew that the film was dead on arrival. In addition to Zegler’s disastrous promotional performance, the film’s middling critical reviews were likely the final nail in its coffin.
Photo: Disney
With a $270 million budget, Snow White is the 20th most expensive movie ever made. For all that money, the film opened to $87 million worldwide.
At this point, it is hard to envision a scenario in which Snow White turns a profit. Perhaps more importantly, however, Disney can’t wait to move past the film.
Through a series of mistakes, mishaps, and miscues, Disney and Zegler turned what looked like a surefire hit into a box office bomb.
Snow White is in theaters now.
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