Snow White might have put Rachel Zegler's career in jeopardy with a low opening collection

Disney's latest adaptation of Snow White has been stuck in controversies for the last few months. It opened on Friday, 21st March, to a less-than-favorable reception from the audiences and critics alike. Their criticisms and controversies may have affected the film's box office collection since it earned less than expectations.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the live-action remake of the 1937 animated film earned $43 million on its opening weekend at the domestic box office. Overseas, it earned about $44.3 million, which takes its cumulative global gross to about $87.3 million. That is disappointing even when compared to the low expectations from the film's collection.

Snow White beats Steven Soderbergh's Black Bag and MCU's Captain America: Brave New World at the North American box office. However, that may not be enough to recover the $270 million that reportedly went into its production. It has received one of the lowest-ever openings at the box office for a Disney live-action remake, lower than 2019's Dumbo.

Snow White's opening weekend collection is higher than Mufasa: The Lion King, another live-action remake from Disney, which earned $35.4 million. However, it continued its theatrical run and became one of the highest-grossing films of 2024.

That may not be possible for the Rachel Zegler starrer, considering the amount of negative backlash it has received so far.

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Has Snow White put Rachel Zegler's career in jeopardy?

Despite all the negative backlash the film has received, Rachel Zegler has earned a fairly warm reception. The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes praises her "luminous star turn." NPR's Bob Mondello calls her "spunky and assertive." The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney notes that "incandescent' Zegler "sells [the film's themes] with conviction and heart.

Before this Disney film, Zegler starred in Steven Speilberg's West Side Story remake. After this collaboration, he recommended Zegler for the role in the Marc Webb directorial.

"I actually got a really glowing recommendation from Steven Spielberg to [director] Marc Webb."

Zegler said during her recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. She further added,

"I also got a text from Steven kind of alluding to the fact that I had gotten the part before I found out. Because I wished him a Happy Father's Day, as one does, and he texted me a bunch of apple emojis as a response."

When speaking about her casting, director Webb reportedly said,

"Rachel's extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts. Her strength, intelligence, and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale."

Based on these reactions, the low-opening collection for Snow White may not affect Zegler's career in the long run. However, the complications related to her and her co-star's comments might jeopardize the film's chances of being a box-office success.