The majority of Disney remakes have comfortably transformed from animation to live action with fond approval from their audiences. Every classic from Alice in Wonderland and 101 Dalmatians to The Lion King, Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid have been reimagined for the modern day with real actors, real sets and the old stories we all know and love.

Sadly, this year’s offering, Snow White, failed to join those ranks. Not only was it widely considered a box office flop, but the film was shrouded in controversy because of an alleged ideological feud between the two lead cast members, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, amidst Israel’s attacks on Gaza, and accusations of ableism regarding the decision to animate the dwarves.

None of which are ideal marketing points for a Disney picture. The film cost $250 million (£186m) to make and only grossed $43 million (£32m) in its first weekend at the box office. According to Variety, that’s lower than the 2019 remake of Dumbo as well as other live action hits including Aladdin and The Lion King. Not only that, but the film scored a measly 42% on Rotten Tomatoes with The Guardian writing it off as ‘toe-curlingly terrible’.

It is the reported tension between Zegler and Gadot, however, that has most overshadowed the film. Zegler, who played Snow White, is an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, while Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, is a high-profile Israeli actor who has previously served in the Israel Defence Forces. This understandably became a point of contention.

Following the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October in 2023, the two actresses took opposing stances on the conflict. Gadot posted on Instagram to write, ‘I stand with Israel, you should too.’ Later adding, ‘The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening.’ Meanwhile, Zegler joined dozens of celebrities in signing the Artists4Ceasefire letter addressed to the then President of the United States, Joe Biden.

In August 2024, shortly after Zegler posted ‘free Palestine’ on X, the Times of Israel journalist Amy Spiro shared a screenshot of Gadot’s official account retweeting (then swiftly deleting) a tweet that read, ‘Trying to campaign on the head of your co-star, who actually lives through war, just so you’ll look cooler with the kids, is really pathetic.’ It is unclear if Gadot runs her own social media accounts.

While Snow White’s disappointing performance in the box office cannot be solely attributed to this political tension, it is likely to have played a part. Both Gadot and Zegler have received backlash for their views, but Gadot has reportedly found this particularly difficult. After all, much of the film’s criticism was leveraged at her performance, with a Slate critic calling her ‘the biggest failure of the movie’.

‘Even for an actress with a perfect reputation, the poor performance of Snow White would be a major blow, but for Gal, who relied on the movie to put her back on top of the A-list,’ an insider close to the Wonder Woman actress told Grazia. ‘It’s been incredibly difficult to see the film fail to connect with audiences all over the world. This truly is the worst-case scenario for what could have happened with this project and it’s pushing Gal into a place where she has no choice but to reinvent her Hollywood persona and the kind of project she signs up to make.’

Nevertheless, Gadot has a string of big budget projects on the horizon. Gadot is set to star in Ruin, a post-Second World War thriller from The Mothers’ Niki Caro opposite Matthias Schoenaerts, which was announced at the start of May. The actress has also reportedly written and fronted a biopic about the Egyptian leader Cleopatra, which is expected in cinemas later this year, despite controversy over her casting with claims that she is ‘whitewashing’ Cleopatra’s mixed ethnicity. Nevertheless, the film hopes to tell the story of the historical figure from a female perspective, focusing on her political prowess and her personal relationships.

Whether either of these projects will put her back on solid ground reputationally remains to be seen. ‘What Gal needs is a filmmaker who can collaborate with her to update her image and rebuild her audience,’ the insider continues. ‘She’s picking up the phone and chasing projects, but every studio is sceptical about her right now. For the first time since she broke through in 2017, she has something to prove.’

Meanwhile Zegler is gearing up to portray Eva Peron in the West End revival of Evita, which opens at the London Palladium on 1 July and runs until 6 September. The Snow White star also has a comedy drama called She Gets It From Me in the pipeline, where she will star opposite Marisa Tomei as her daughter. Zegler appears to be on better terms with Disney too as she is reportedly in the running to feature in a Disney+ adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera. The project is still early in development and will be directed by Kenny Ortega, the brains behind High School Musical and the first three Descendants films.

Snow White might not have been met with the critical reception anyone was hoping for, or doubled as Gadot’s rocket to stardom, but at least both lead actors have found work in its wake. Despite the silver lining, it’s a film that will always be trailed by a cloud of controversy.