The son of Snow White producer Marc Platt has criticised the film’s star Rachel Zegler for her pro-Palestinian comments on social media, saying her actions negatively impacted the film’s box office performance.
Zegler, who plays the title role in Disney’s live-action remake, faced backlash after making political statements on her social media accounts.
In response to reports that his father confronted Zegler about her remarks, Jonah Platt expressed frustration.
Replying to a comment that said: “Your dad flew to NYC to reprimand a young actress? People have the right to free speech no? Shame on your father” Jonah Platt defended his father, writing: “Yeah, my dad, the producer of the enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20-year-old employee for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie for which she signed a multi-million dollar contract to get paid and do publicly for.”
He further stated that Zegler’s actions hurt the film’s financial performance, pointing out that Snow White grossed only $87 million worldwide on its opening weekend, a modest figure compared to its $270 million budget.
“Her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office,” Platt said. He also argued that free speech in the context of employment has consequences, stating, “Tens of thousands of people worked on that film and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of the colleagues and crew and blue-collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful. Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged”
Jonah Platt attends 'Center Theatre Group presents the opening night performance of 'A Transparent Musical' (Image: Getty)Getty Images
Zegler has been in the spotlight for controversial comments regarding the original Snow White film, calling it “dated” and “weird,” and for her criticism of Prince Charming as a “stalker.” The actress also sparked additional backlash after making pro-Palestine comments on social media.
The controversy intensified after it was revealed that Zegler’s co-star, Israeli actress Gal Gadot, received death threats following Zegler’s social media post, in which she thanked fans for supporting the film and added, “and always remember, free Palestine.” Gadot, who served in the Israel Defence Forces, was reportedly given extra security due to the threats.
According to the New York Post an insider familiar with the situation said that Zegler did not understand the impact of her actions on the film and its cast. “She didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone,” the insider said.
Further complicating matters, the report claimed there was tension between Zegler and Gadot, with Zegler allegedly making dismissive comments about Gadot after their joint Oscars appearance on March 2.
Disney has faced criticism for its handling of the film, including backlash for initially deciding not to cast actors with dwarfism to play the seven dwarfs. After facing public criticism, including from actor Peter Dinklage, Disney chose to use CGI to create the dwarfs.
The ongoing controversies led Disney to scale back the Hollywood premiere of Snow White on March 15.
