Gal Gadot is clarifying her comments made during an appearance on Israeli talk show The A Talks about the Disney live action adaptation of Snow White and its failure to launch.
The reimagining of the 1937 original, the studio's first ever groundbreaking animated feature film, starred Rachel Zegler in the title role and also featured Andrew Burnap as her love interest and the Israeli actress, 40, as the Evil Queen.
The film stirred controversy from its very inception, from many fans deeming it unnecessary for the Disney canon (which, agreed) to its supposed "critiques" of the original film, to the handling of the discourse surrounding Rachel's casting, plus her diametrically opposite views on the Israel-Palestine conflict from her co-star Gal's.
A former member of the IDF herself, the mom-of-four appeared on The A Talks and shared, per Deadline, that she "really enjoyed" making the movie, but allegedly felt that Hollywood's "pressure" to speak out against Israel overshadowed it.
"I even enjoyed working with Rachel Zegler. We laughed, we talked and it was fun. I was sure that this movie was going to be a huge success," she said. "And then October 7 happened, and what's happening in all kinds of industries, and also in Hollywood, is that there's a lot of pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel."
Gal noted she was willing to "always explain and try to give people in the world context about what's happening and what the reality is here, but in the end, people decide for themselves. I was disappointed that the movie was greatly affected by that and didn't do well at the box office."
Soon after the interview made rounds and sparked debate over the movie's failure on political grounds versus its own merits (or lack thereof), the Wonder Woman star took to her Instagram Stories with a statement shedding light on her comments.
"I was honored to join an extraordinary interview with inspiring interviewers, whose questions go straight to the heart," she wrote in a post shared on Sunday. "Sometimes we respond to questions from an emotional place."
"When the film came out, I felt that those who are against Israel criticized me in a very personal, almost visceral way. They saw me first and foremost as an Israeli, not as an actress. That's the perspective I spoke from when I answered the question."
She continued: "Of course, the film didn't fail solely because of external pressures. There are many factors that determine why a film succeeds or fails, and success is never guaranteed."
HELLO!'s resident TV & Film expert Nicky Morris similarly attributed the film's lack of success to its controversial public perception, saying: "Whether you liked Disney's latest live-action movie or not, it's impossible to think about Snow White without the various controversies attached to the film over its casting and political views of its leading stars."
"While it sounded like a surefire hit, the film has become one of the year's unexpectedly most divisive releases."
Upon release in March, the film received mixed reviews, garnering a 38% score from Rotten Tomatoes. Rachel's acting and primarily her musical performances received acclaim, but its other acting reviews ranged from mixed to negative, as did the changes to the story, the costume design and the treatment of the characters of the seven dwarves.
It also proved to be a box-office bomb, only making about $206 million globally on a budget of nearly $270 million, failing to break even.