Disney's Snow White's live-action remake cast also includes Andrew Burnap, Ansu Kabia, and Patrick Page.

Now, after playing in theaters for over a week, the movie has pushed its star past a career milestone. Per The Numbers, Snow White is now Rachel Zegler's second-highest-grossing movie, behind The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes ($349 million worldwide), and she has also hit a cumulative career record of $700 million. Currently, Snow White's running worldwide total breaks down to $66.9 million domestically and $75.8 million internationally for a grand total of $142.7 million globally. ​​​​​

What Snow White's Box Office Milestone Means For Rachel Zegler

It Marks A Significant Milestone, But Is Another Box Office Bomb

Rachel Zegler rose from relative obscurity with her role as María in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, which won her a Golden Globe. However, released during the pandemic in 2021, the musical remake bombed at the box office, making only $76 million. Zegler expanded her career by playing Anthea in DC's Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which was also a box-office disappointment, making only $134 million. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is easily the biggest box office hit of Zegler's career, making $349 million against its $100 million budget.

In 2024, Zegler starred in A24's Y2K, which also bombed at the box office, grossing only $4.4 million.

Snow White is Zegler's first movie to be marred by significant controversy, surrounding its color-blind casting, alterations to the storyline, her outspoken criticism of the original movie, her and Gadot's differing views on Israel–Palestine, and the reimagining of the Seven Dwarfs. While it has seen mixed audience reactions, these controversies have contributed to Snow White's review bombing which, with a 1.5 rating on IMDb, led the site to issue a disclaimer warning of "unusual voting activity." Rotten Tomatoes gives a clearer picture, with a 40% score from critics and 74% from audiences.

Our Take On Snow White's Box Office

Will It Hurt Rachel Zegler's Career?

Though it has resulted in several milestones, becoming her second-highest-grossing movie and pushing her past $700 million for her career, Snow White is still shaping up to be another box office bomb for Zegler. It's estimated that Snow White needs to make $500 million to reach its "box office safety net." This is due to its massive estimated production budget of $240–270 million, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made.

Though Songbirds & Snakes was a solid success, Zegler has now had four films bomb at the box office. This trend could start to impact her future opportunities in Hollywood, as studios may be hesitant to cast her in major blockbusters. However, some of Snow White's failures stem from factors beyond her control, so she still deserves the benefit of the doubt moving forward.

Could Zegler Overcome Her Box Office Struggle In The Future?

Her Projects Are Unknown

In the wake of so many box office disappointments, it is unclear what is next for Rachel Zegler on the big screen. For the time being, she does not have any officially announced movie projects in the works, and she has not filmed anything since she finished reshoots on Snow White, which took place almost a year ago. However, in the meantime she has continued her robust stage career, starring opposite Kit Connor in Broadway's Romeo + Juliet in 2024 and getting set to start playing Eva Perón in a West End staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita in July.

Kit Connor is a rising star known for his work in Heartstopper, The Wild Robot, and the Warfare.

However, one element of her work that offers hope is that, even with her critical and commercial failures (a roster that also includes the animated musical Spellbound, which has 48% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 49% from audiences), her performances in particular tend to draw praise. This was the case with her Disney live-action remake as well. Despite earning a Rotten Tomatoes splat, many critics singled her out as a bright spot in the movie, including ScreenRant's own Rachel Labonte. Read an excerpt from her 5 out of 10 Snow White review below:

In her latest blockbuster project, Zegler (West Side Story, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) continues to prove she is a star of the highest order. Whether she's acting opposite CGI dwarfs or belting out a heartfelt solo, she commits fully to the role and embodies the true ideal of a fairytale princess. So much of Snow White's plot hinges on characters being willing to risk everything for her because of her comion and good heart, and Zegler portrays it all so beautifully that we don't doubt for a second that others would fall under her spell so easily.

Ultimately, it is unclear what the Snow White star could take on next in Hollywood. Given their box office performance, it seems unlikely that either Snow White or Shazam! Fury of the Gods will ever get direct sequels that offer her easy opportunities to reprise her roles. Additionally, while The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is being followed by the Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, that movie will take place 40 years later, most likely preventing her from reprising her role. Thus, while a return to the screen is possible, her next onscreen performance remains a mystery.

Source: The Numbers