Gal Gadot is giving her perspective on why Disney’s live-action “Snow White” remake underperformed at the box office.
During a recent appearance on the Israeli TV program “The A Talks,” in which guests are interviewed by individuals on the autism spectrum, Gadot said “Snow White’s” poor box office performance was partially because of “pressure” in Hollywood to “speak against Israel” amid the ongoing conflict with Palestine.
“You know, this happens a lot in various industries, including Hollywood,” she said. “There’s pressure on celebrities to speak against Israel. And, you know, it happened.”
Popular on Variety
She continued, “I can always explain and try to give context about what’s happening here. 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. You win some, you lose some.”
On Sunday, Gadot took to her Instagram Stories to expand on her comments, clarifying that “the film didn’t fail solely because of external pressures.”
“I was honored to join an extraordinary interview with inspiring interviewers, whose questions go straight to the heart,” she wrote. “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. 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.”
Gadot added, “Of course, the film didn’t fail solely because of external pressures. There are many factors that determine why a film succeeds or fails, and success is never guaranteed.”
Alongside Gadot, the film starred Rachel Zegler as the titular Disney princess, Andrew Burnap as the Prince Charming stand-in Jonathan, Patrick Page as the Magic Mirror and Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman.
Despite the poor commercial reception, Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman was keen on the “Snow White,” writing in his review, “With all the turmoil besetting the real world, you’d think there might be more important things to inflate into controversies than the pre-release kerfuffles that have plagued ‘Snow White.’ As it turns out, this is one of the better live-action adaptations of a Disney animated feature. And I say that as someone who mostly doesn’t like them.”
