Rachel Zegler’s latest film, Y2K, is crashing and burning at the box office, looking to open to a lackluster $2.1 million (hopefully) and earning a dismal “C-” CinemaScore, which is horrible.
The A24 horror-comedy, directed by Kyle Mooney, is far from the hit the studio likely had hoped for, especially with a low budget under $15 million.
Worth a mention is that the poor performance comes on the heels of Zegler’s two Disney Snow White trailers receiving massive backlash, including over 2 million dislikes on YouTube.
A string of flops incoming for Zegler?
Zegler, who once seemed to be a rising star after her roles in Spielberg’s West Side Story and her casting in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is now facing a wave of negative attention. Her portrayal of Disney’s iconic Snow White has been met with big time criticism for its departure from the original story and for comments Zegler made during press interviews, which sparked widespread backlash online (see below).
Now, with Y2K stumbling out of the gate, Zegler’s career momentum appears to be on a downward spiral. Industry insiders are taking note: Y2K’s weak start at 2,108 theaters highlights Zegler’s inability to draw in audiences, even with minimal competition after Thanksgiving and before the holiday blockbuster season begins, notes Deadline, who questions if the movie will even bring in $2 million this weekend.
Why the Backlash?
The backlash against Zegler’s recent projects likely stem from her public statements, which fans have labeled as dismissive of beloved franchises and their fanbases. Her criticism of Disney’s original Snow White didn’t sit well with audiences, and again, the response to the trailers has been overwhelmingly negative. Now, her association with Y2K obviously isn’t helping things.
Among her comments includes the claim she threatened President Donald Trump and his supporters, which she backtracked on, and she also said she didn’t like Disney’s original Snow White and called Prince Charming a stalker. “Weird, weird,” she said, something she also backtracked on.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Comparing Y2K’s $2.1M opening to other recent indie releases also paints a bleak picture (Zegler has also starred in a lot bigger movies) :
- NEON’s Cuckoo opened to $3M, finishing with $6.2M.
- Even A24’s smaller releases like Bodies Bodies Bodies showed stronger box office legs.
As Deadline notes, with holiday juggernauts like Mufasa and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 soon to dominate screens for Christmas, Y2K’s won’t be able to recover.
Update: It’s learned Y2K opened at #9 over the weekend: Friday box office performance is abysmal. The flick only brought in $923K on over 2100 screens which only averages to $437 a theater. On Saturday, the box office dropped 25% and brought in $692k; on Sunday, another drop of 28% with $498k. Current box office is $2,113,923.
Social Media Fallout
Social media metrics also aren’t offering any relief. Diagnostics from RelishMix reveal that Y2K had a reach of 35.1 million across platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X, and Facebook—21% below average for first-time horror movie releases. For comparison:
- NEON’s Cuckoo: 52.9M social media reach
- A24’s Tarot: 88.6M reach ($6.5M opening, $18.7M final)
- NEON’s Longlegs: 135.1M reach (Film Independent Spirits snubbed it despite its success)
According to Deadline, negative chatter about Y2K flooded social media channels, with fans voicing disappointment over its “uninspired style” and the use of digital filming for a story set in the ’90s. One viewer commented, “A24 just continues to miss lately. This is some stuff I’d expect from Blumhouse. NEON has taken the throne for coolest studio I’m afraid.” The nostalgia factor also failed to resonate, with some calling it a missed opportunity to authentically capture the era by not using digital for a movie set in the ’90s/2000s.
Poor Audience Reception
Exit polls aren’t much better. Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak showed only 65% positive scores and a 50% recommend rate. Audience breakdowns reveal more details:
- Male-dominated: 58%
- Key age groups: 18-24 (35%), 25-34 (42%)
- Diversity: 50% Caucasian, 27% Latino/Hispanic, 10% Black, 9% Asian American, 5% Native American/Other
The realization of a male-dominated audience brings up failures likeThe Marvels and Madame Web which were geared toward and targeted to a female audience that didn’t show up. The target audience for Disney’s Snow White is similar.
Critics have also given Y2K a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes (there aren’t enough fan reviews for a fan rating as of yet).
