“Pure Poison,” Rachel Zegler Attempts To Take Down Disney

Actress Rachel Zegler has made some waves in her short career, but there’s no doubt she’s still pegged for many more roles in the future.

Rachel Zegler’s journey into the spotlight began when she was cast as Maria Vasquez in West Side Story (2021), directed by Steven Spielberg. Zegler, a relatively unknown actress at the time, impressed audiences and critics alike with her powerful voice and compelling portrayal of the iconic character.

Zegler’s breakthrough role in West Side Story opened doors to numerous opportunities, and she soon found herself at the center of another major project – Disney’s live-action adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), titled Disney’s Snow White (2025). However, her involvement in the film stirred controversy due to comments she made about changes to the classic storyline. The Disney remake sparked debates among fans who were protective of the beloved animated original.

Zegler defended the creative choices, emphasizing the importance of adapting stories to reflect contemporary values and perspectives. Alongside Gal Gadot (Evil Queen) and Andrew Burnap (Jonathan), Rachel Zegler is set to play the Disney princess in what will be one of the most expensive Disney movies ever made. Because there has been so much money put into the making of this film, it should come as no surprise that Disney wants to make sure the best outcome possible is achieved.

The company delayed the film by a full year and released a first look with Zegler and what looked to be the seven dwarfs. Though it was shared that they will be called “magical creatures” in multiple reports earlier this year, there has been no confirmation from Disney and the making of the first-look shows a much more traditional look to the fairytale than what fans expected when they heard of these changes. Still, Zegler’s comments about it “not being 1937 anymore” and that Snow White “will not be saved by a prince” have continued to be hung over the movie, casting major doubt on what changes the company might make before its release in the spring of 2025.

Of course, this isn’t the only major film project that Rachel Zegler is a part of, and while her Disney film hasn’t gotten the response that she would’ve liked, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) has received mixed reviews, receiving a 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes by critics thus far.

Zegler’s Lionsgate film, which stars Tom Blyth as a young President Snow and Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, is set to be released this week, on November 17, 2023. Critical consensus for the film states the following: “An outstanding cast and exciting story help make The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes a worthy return to Panem in spite of a rushed and somewhat frustrating ending.”

Though almost all critics have been pleased with the performance of Rachel Zegler, a few have been rather critical, with one calling her “pure poison,” and sharing that she is “ruining the Hunger Games franchise.” While some may be critical of Zegler, the film is expected to gross more than $100 million in its opening weekend.

If that proves to be the case, Zegler’s film might turn detrimental for Disney, which is hoping for a big November. The company has already seen The Marvels (2023), starring Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, fall flat with just $47 million on its opening weekend, which is the worst in Marvel Cinematic Universe history. With box office numbers not looking kind to that film, the verdict is still out on Disney’s newest animated film, Wish (2023), which will be released on November 22, 2023.

Though the two will attract different audiences in a lot of cases, there are still questions over how much the Hunger Games prequel could prove to be a difference-maker for Disney– in a negative way– at the box office. You can check out the official trailer for the new movie below.

Currently, Wish is projected to have an opening weekend of around $50 million at the box office, which would be the largest original animated opening for a Disney movie since Coco (2017).

What do you think of Rachel Zegler as competition to Disney?

This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.