Fact check: Disney's live Action Snow White failed financially for many reasons. But Rachel Zegler's need to court controversy is one of them.

1. Summary of the results

The financial failure of Disney's Snow White is well-documented, with the film earning approximately $87.3-88 million against a substantial budget of $270-350 million ^{[1] [2]}. However, the attribution of this failure solely to Rachel Zegler's controversial statements represents an oversimplification of a more complex situation.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual factors were omitted from the original statement:

• The film actually received positive audience reactions, with a 73% "Popcornometer" rating and particularly strong reviews from children under 12 ^[3]
• Multiple pre-existing controversies surrounded the film, including:

Peter Dinklage's criticism about dwarf representation

Original film co-director's son David Hand's objections to story changes

General backlash about perceived "wokeness" ^[4]

The film faced a challenging $250-350 million budget, making profitability difficult regardless of controversy ^[2]

• Families and children, the primary target audience, were less influenced by online debates ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains several misleading elements:

• The characterization of Zegler as having a "need to court controversy" is not supported by the sources. Instead, she is described as responding "thoughtfully" to criticism and attempting to explain the film's approach professionally ^[4]
• While Zegler did make controversial statements about:

The original Snow White film

Palestine

Trump

Describing the prince as a "stalker" ^{[1] [5]}

These were part of a broader context of multiple challenges facing the film, rather than the primary cause of its financial performance.

The narrative benefits several groups:

• Conservative media outlets and critics of Disney's modernization efforts
• Competitors in the family entertainment space
• Social media influencers and commentators who benefit from engagement around controversy
• Traditional film purists who oppose changes to classic stories