Producer’s son Jonah Platt blasts actress Rachel Zegler for undermining Disney’s Snow White remake with her political statements, claiming her “narcissism” hurt the film’s box office and jeopardized the livelihoods of crew members.
Quick Takes
- Jonah Platt, son of Snow White producer Marc Platt, publicly criticized lead actress Rachel Zegler for damaging the film’s prospects with her controversial political statements
- Marc Platt reportedly flew to New York specifically to address concerns with Zegler about her political posts, including “free Palestine” comments
- The film underperformed at the box office, earning $43 million on opening weekend compared to higher expectations for Disney live-action remakes
- Zegler had previously faced backlash for calling the original 1937 film “dated” and making controversial comments about Trump supporters
- The film received a disappointing 42% score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating mostly negative reviews
Producer’s Son Defends Father Against “Harassment” Claims
Jonah Platt, son of prominent Hollywood producer Marc Platt, has publicly criticized “Snow White” lead actress Rachel Zegler for allegedly damaging the film’s commercial prospects through her controversial political statements. The criticism came in response to negative comments about how Marc Platt had reprimanded Zegler over social media posts supporting Palestine. According to reports, the senior Platt felt compelled to fly to New York specifically to address concerns about Zegler’s political commentary during the film’s promotional period.
In a pointed response, Jonah Platt defended his father’s actions while questioning Zegler’s professional judgment. The younger Platt emphasized that his father was simply exercising appropriate oversight of a major Disney production with significant financial implications. The situation highlights growing tensions between Hollywood studios and talent regarding the boundaries of personal expression during film promotion, particularly for high-stakes productions with massive budgets.
“Yeah, my dad, the producer of 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 publicity for,” wrote Platt.
NEW: The son of 'Snow White' producer Marc Platt absolutely unleashes on Rachel Zegler for ruining his father's movie.
Jonah Platt is ripping the 23-year-old actress for getting political and ruining Snow White.
The comment from Platt was found on Instagram after one user asked… pic.twitter.com/1k1xnnw2af
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 26, 2025
Financial Impact and Box Office Disappointment
Disney’s “Snow White” remake reportedly underperformed at the box office despite its status as a tentpole release, earning just $43 million in its opening weekend. This figure falls well below expectations for Disney live-action adaptations, which have historically been reliable revenue generators for the company. The film’s disappointing commercial performance has been accompanied by critical struggles, evidenced by its low 42% score on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting the controversy surrounding the film may have influenced audience reception.
Jonah Platt’s criticism focused particularly on how Zegler’s statements potentially affected the financial prospects of the film, noting that hundreds of crew members and support staff depend on the film’s success for their livelihoods. His comments reflect growing concern in Hollywood about the impact of stars’ personal politics on the commercial viability of major studio productions, especially at a time when the industry faces increasing financial pressures and changing audience demographics and technology.
“This is called adult responsibility and accountability. And her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office. Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions. Tens of thousands of people worked on that film and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of all 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,” Platt explained.
Controversy Beyond Politics
Zegler had already faced considerable backlash prior to the film’s release for comments she made about the original 1937 animated classic. The actress described the beloved Disney film as “dated” in interviews promoting the remake, which alienated fans of the original. This criticism was compounded by controversy surrounding her casting, with some traditional audiences questioning Disney’s decision to cast an actress of Colombian and Polish descent as the traditionally Germanic character.
While the actress has maintained a significant fan base that has defended her right to express political opinions, industry observers note that the controversy has overshadowed discussion of the film itself, potentially hampering Disney’s marketing efforts for what was meant to be a marquee release in its live-action adaptation strategy.
