Collider Celebrates Snow White Box Office as Major Victory for Rachel Zegler

When a $250 million Disney tentpole gets embarrassed at the box office, it should be newsworthy. When that same movie is surrounded by controversy, audience rejection, and a spectacular second-weekend collapse, it should be the story. But if you’re Collider, apparently the Snow White box office is a cause for celebration—because Rachel Zegler just hit a new “career milestone.”

This isn’t reporting. It’s damage control dressed up in clickbait.

A 66% Drop? “Let’s Talk About Her Cumulative Career Grosses Instead”

Collider’s latest article tries to salvage the narrative around Snow White’s poor performance by shifting focus to a feel-good stat: Zegler has now appeared in films that have collectively grossed over $700 million worldwide.

Umm….yay?

Rachel Zegler singing the original song “Waiting on a Wish” from Disney‘s Snow White live action remake – YouTube, Disney

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Let’s be clear: that number is meaningless. It’s a fluff stat meant to distract from the fact that Snow White is tanking harder than anyone expected—even after months of media spin and celebrity-backed attempts to make Zegler seem “misunderstood” rather than unpopular.

Here’s the key line from the article:

“Snow White’s box office performance after two weekends in theaters is enough to help its leading star past a new box office milestone…”

Translation? Yes, the movie flopped—but look over here! Isn’t Rachel doing great?

No, she’s not!

Rachel Zegler singing in the Snow White Trailer – YouTube, Disney

The film opened well below expectations, dropped 66% in its second weekend, and was defeated by A Working Man—a mid-budget Jason Statham film with zero franchise hype, no billion-dollar IP, and no global PR machine behind it.

But instead of focusing on that very real, very public rejection of both Zegler and the film, Collider opts to talk about cumulative earnings across multiple films—some of which she barely even headlines.

The Rachel Zegler Highlight Reel: A Closer Look

Rachel Zegler has never had a success at the box office. The majority of her films were horrendous financial flops. The one film you can argue made money is Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes which still pulled in far less than the original Hunger Games trilogy at a time in which movie tickets were far more expensive. 

Honor Gillies as Barb Azure, Konstantin Taffet as Clerk Carmine and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close

Let’s break down the $700 million figure they’re so eager to flaunt:

• The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — $349M
• Shazam! Fury of the Gods — $134M
• West Side Story — $76M
• Snow White — $143M (and fading fast)
• Y2K — $3.7M
• Spellbound — Netflix exclusive, no box office

Every Zegler film has either underperformed or failed outright. That’s not open for debate. It’s an undeniable fact. But to Collider, it’s all part of a winning streak.

Right….

Rachel Zegler as Maria in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

This is the Hollywood media complex protecting one of their own—propping up a politically active, ideologically aligned actress who has become a lightning rod not for her talent, but for her behavior.

The Real Story Is Audience Rejection

Let’s not forget that Snow White was tracking for $50M–$60M and didn’t even reach that. It got beat in Week 2 by a movie nobody had heard of a month ago. Disney was so concerned about Zegler’s public image that they hired a social media babysitter to monitor her posts—after she told half the country to, quote, “never know peace.”

And yet, Collider’s angle is: “She’s the second-highest-grossing actress… of her own six-film resume!”

Rachel Zegler via Good Morning America YouTube

READ: Hollywood Rallies Around Rachel Zegler in Attempt to Shield her From Blame as Snow White Collapses at the Box Office

This is like bragging about scoring a goal in a game you lost 6-1. It’s a Hollywood participation trophy.

This Is Narrative Maintenance, Not Journalism

Make no mistake—this isn’t just about Rachel Zegler. It’s about how access media functions. Collider depends on access to studios like Disney for early looks, exclusives, and red carpet invites. When a film like Snow White crashes and burns, these outlets don’t call it what it is. They rewrite the story.

Ansel Elgort as Tony and Rachel Zegler as Maria in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY.

It’s the same reason puff pieces downplay fan backlash. It’s why headlines focus on “milestones” and “career growth” while ignoring second-weekend numbers that would doom most other actors’ careers. And it’s why we see pieces like this—filled with irrelevant trivia to avoid confronting the obvious.

We See Through the Spin

Collider can try to gaslight the audience and reframe Snow White as a footnote on Zegler’s path to superstardom, but the numbers don’t lie—and neither do audiences. When people are choosing a low-key Statham action flick over your heavily marketed legacy remake, the message is loud and clear:

We’re tired of being talked down to. We’re tired of ideological lectures disguised as entertainment. And we’re especially tired of being told that box office failure is somehow a win.

Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Disney’s live-action SNOW WHITE. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Collider’s spin won’t change the facts.

Snow White flopped. Rachel Zegler’s brand is damaged. And no amount of media puffery is going to rewrite that.

How do you feel about Collider defending Snow White and Rachel Zegler? Sound off in the comments and let us know! 

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