Disney’s disastrous roll out of its Snow White remake has hit another snag as Lebanon has banned the film from its cinemas nationwide.
The Middle East nation made the move this week because of star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen in the box office bomb.
Gadot, an Israeli, is on Lebanon’s boycott list because of her past service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and her vocal support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
Lebanon has previously banned other Gadot movies including Wonder Woman and Death On The Nile over the star’s nationality.
It is not the first time that the Israel-Hamas conflict has upended the $200 million flick, with Gadot also said to have been embroiled in a ‘feud’ with co-star Rachel Zegler, an outspoken Palestine supporter.
The $270 million remake was panned by critics and flopped at the box office following its release last month, and is reportedly on track to lose upwards of $115 million.
Zegler has bore the brunt of the blame for the underperforming film, as the actress came under scrutiny for her remarks before its release, including sharing her views on the Middle East crisis.
She was also criticized for her woke takes on the 1937 classic, where she described Prince Charming as ‘literally a stalker.’
Disney’s disastrous roll out of its Snow White remake has hit another snag as Lebanon has banned the film over star Gal Gadot’s (pictured) ties to Israel
Lebanon authorities have placed Gadot on the nation’s boycott list because of her past service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and her vocal support for Israel in its war against Hamas, and has previously banned her previous movies such as Wonder Woman
It is not the first time that the Israel-Hamas conflict has upended the $200 million flick, with Gadot also said to have been embroiled in a ‘feud’ with co-star Rachel Zegler, an outspoken Palestine supporter
While Zegler’s remarks on the decades-old story came under fire – alongside Disney’s decision to create CGI gnomes instead of hiring actors with dwarfism – the conflict in the Middle East undercut the film’s release more than anything else.
Zegler and Gadot are said to have gotten on well during filming – but their relationship froze over when Zegler began publicly sharing her pro-Palestinian views.
Producers opted to premiere the movie at a remote Spanish castle where only Zegler attended as its promotional tour was rocked by controversies.
Issues began when Disney released its trailer last summer, with fans sharing their doubts over Zegler’s casting, including a Latina being chosen to portray a character known for being ‘as white as snow.’
Others took issue with Gadot’s casting amid Israel’s devastation of Gaza, with pro-Palestine viewers calling for a boycott of the film.
Conversely, some on the other side alleged that casting the Israeli actress as an ‘evil’ character played on anti-Semitic tropes about Jews.
The live action of Disney’s Snow White has been shrouded in controversy amid its chaotic press tour – and it seems tension is also brewing between its stars (Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot seen earlier this month)
Zegler bore the brunt of the film’s criticized promotional tour for remarks she made, including saying the character of Prince Charming is ‘literally a stalker’
Flames were then fanned last year when Zegler shared the trailer on her own social media channels and thanked fans for sending her support.
In a follow-up tweet, she added: ‘And always remember, free Palestine.’
Zegler has publicly taken a pro-Palestinian stance since 2021, sharing several tweets and posts urging fans to donate to emergency aid for Gaza.
Speaking to Variety, Zegler previously said: ‘I can’t watch children die. I don’t think that should be a hot take.’
While Gadot – who served in the IDF for two years, including during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war – did not respond publicly to Zegler’s comment, she raised eyebrows with a post of her own after the trailer was released.
She posted on her Instagram story a photo of Martin Luther King Jr. with his quote: ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’
Above the image, she wrote: ‘Only love can save the world.’
Flames were fanned when Zegler shared the movie’s trailer on her own social media channels and thanked fans for sending her support, adding: ‘And always remember, free Palestine’
While Gadot – who served in the IDF for two years, including during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war (pictured) – did not respond publicly to Zegler’s comment, she raised eyebrows with a post of her own after the trailer was released
While Gadot did not respond publicly to Zegler’s comment she raised eyebrows with a post of her own after the trailer was released, posting about love ‘driving out hate’
Gadot appeared to make a pointed dig at Zegler with her X account briefly reposting 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’
Days later she appeared to make a pointed dig at Zegler.
According to Times of Israel reporter Amy Spiro, Gadot’s X account briefly reposted 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.’
While Gadot has not called out Zegler by name, she has made pointed remarks on those who support Hamas.
After the terror organization killed over 1,200 people during the October 7 attacks, Gadot spoke at the Anti-Defamation League summit, where she said: ‘Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States, and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying and cheering on a massacre of Jews.’