Disney’s Snow White pushes Rachel Zegler past a career box office milestone, as the remake becomes her second-highest-grossing movie amid controversy and review bombs. Disney’s latest live-action reimagining is of their 1937 animated classic, which was based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It follows the eponymous pure-hearted princess (played by Zegler) who teams up with the seven dwarfs to liberate her kingdom from her cruel stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot). Snow White‘s live-action remake cast also includes Andrew Burnap, Ansu Kabia, and Patrick Page.
Now, after playing in theaters for over a week, the movie has pushed its star past a career milestone. Per The Numbers, Snow White is now Rachel Zegler’s second-highest-grossing movie, behind The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes ($349 million worldwide), and she has also hit a career record of $700 million. Currently, Snow White‘s running cume breaks down to $66.9 million domestically and $75.8 million internationally for a grand total of $142.7 million globally.
What Snow White’s Box Office Milestone Means For Rachel Zegler
It Marks A Significant Milestone, But Is Another Box Office Bomb
Rachel Zegler rose from relative obscurity with her role as María in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, which won her a Golden Globe. However, released during the pandemic in 2021, the musical remake bombed at the box office, making only $76 million. Zegler expanded her career by playing Anthea in DC’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which was also a box-office disappointment, making only $134 million. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is easily the biggest box office hit of Zegler’s career, making $349 million against its $100 million budget.
In 2024, Zegler starred in A24’s Y2K, which also bombed at the box office, grossing only $4.4 million.
Snow White is Zegler’s first movie to be marred by significant controversy, surrounding its color-blind casting, alterations to the storyline, her outspoken criticism of the original movie, her and Gadot’s differing views on Israel–Palestine, and the reimagining of the Seven Dwarfs. While it has seen mixed audience reactions, these controversies have contributed to Snow White‘s review bombing which, with a 1.5 user rating on IMDb, led the site to issue a disclaimer warning of “unusual voting activity.” Rotten Tomatoes tells a clearer picture, with a 40% score from critics and 74% from audiences.
Our Take On Snow White’s Box Office
Will It Hurt Rachel Zegler’s Career?
Though it has resulted in several milestones, becoming her second-highest-grossing movie and pushing her past $700 million for her career, Snow White is still shaping up to be another box office bomb for Zegler. It’s estimated that Snow White needs to make $500 million to reach its “box office safety net.” This is due to its mᴀssive estimated production budget of $240–270 million, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made.
Though Songbirds & Snakes was a solid success, Zegler has now had four films bomb at the box office. This trend could start to impact her future opportunities in Hollywood, as studios may be hesitant to cast her in major blockbusters. However, some of Snow White‘s failures stem from factors beyond her control, so she still deserves the benefit of the doubt moving forward.
Source: The Numbers
