A producer's son from the upcoming live-action Snow White film is facing backlash for his harsh comments directed at actress Rachel Zegler. Jonah Platt, son of producer Marc Platt, publicly defended his father in response to Zegler's fans following a report from Variety. The report highlighted that Marc Platt allegedly traveled to New York City at Disney’s request to ask Zegler to retract a “free Palestine” comment she made on the social media platform X while expressing gratitude to Disney fans for their support of the Snow White trailer.
In the wake of the incident, a commenter on Instagram described Marc Platt's intervention as “creepy as hell” and criticized his attempts to manage Zegler's social media presence as “uncalled for.” In a since-deleted response, Jonah Platt, who hosts the Being Jewish podcast, articulated his frustration: “You really want to do this? Yeah, my dad, the producer of an 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.”
He further elaborated on the implications of Zegler's comments, stating, “This is called adult responsibility and accountability. 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.” Jonah Platt emphasized the collective effort of the tens of thousands of people who worked on the film, suggesting that Zegler's comments jeopardized the success of the project, which many blue-collar workers rely on.
While Disney and Marc Platt have not publicly commented on the ongoing controversy, the producer has previously addressed actors’ political statements on his son’s podcast. When asked about the pro-Palestine statements made by Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, he stated, “No decent human being wants any suffering in humanity from decent people.” He elaborated on the complexities of personal politics and public statements, noting that conversations about suffering often overlook the broader context of differing narratives.
Despite the publicity surrounding the film, Snow White opened below expectations, grossing an estimated $43 million domestically during its opening weekend. Globally, the live-action remake, which had a production budget of $270 million, was projected to surpass $100 million but ultimately fell short at $87.3 million. Criticism regarding the film's performance has been attributed to several factors, including remake fatigue and various controversies, such as the portrayal of the Seven Dwarfs and the pro-Israel stance of actress Gal Gadot.
Critics have given Snow White a mixed reception, with an average score of just 42 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score stands at a more favorable 74 percent. Notably, despite the film's overall negative reviews, Zegler's performance received acclaim, with many acknowledging her talent even if they were critical of the film itself. Additionally, leading up to the film's release, Zegler has actively promoted the movie, managing to navigate the controversy without further stumbles.
