• The first reactions to Snow White are in
  • The film is set to release on 21 March
  • Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s film had a small premiere as Disney scales back
Snow White star Rachel Zegler is making her West debut in Evita
Snow White star Rachel Zegler is making her West debut in Evita. Credit: IMAGO

Snow White had its premiere on 12 March ahead of its 21 March release, and the first reactions are in.

A small-scale event was held in Spain for the premiere and another was held in LA on 15 March. The Disney film has been the subject of controversy since its announcement a few years ago. Rachel Zegler, who plays Snow White, has also been in the spotlight for her comments about the film being outdated and this version being different from the 1937 original.

However, the reactions to the new film are overwhelmingly positive.

Snow White controversy explained

In October 2016 the film was announced to be in the works and a trailer was released in August 2024 at D24. Disney has been in their remake era for the last few years with films like Dumbo, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid. These films have not been without controversy themselves, particularly in casting Halle Bailey as Ariel and some fans disputing the ethnicity change of this iconic Disney character.

Zegler also faced the similar controversy for her casting as Snow White. Fans thought that as the character is described as having “skin as white as snow”, Zegler shouldn’t have been cast.

Read More: Actors with dwarfism to protest Snow White remake

The 23-year-old has Colombian and Polish heritage, but that wasn’t enough for angry fans. Zegler spoke about her casting on X and expressed her gratitude to play a role that little girls could look up to.

However, she also said she did not want to see all the hate towards her that people were tagging her in. Regardless of the movie’s drama and criticisms before its release, the reactions from critics seem mostly positive.

So what did the reviews say? Let’s break it down.

Live action Snow White reviews – what did critics say?

Disney's live action Snow White remake starring Rachel Zegler has had its share of controversies already.
Disney’s live action Snow White remake has had its share of controversies already. Credit: Disney

Reviews for the film swept across X as they do during big film releases. Despite the premiere being scaled back to limited press and people in-house, it appears the film was still appreciated.

A positive reception

One critic, Christopher Rates It wrote: “The biggest surprise of 2025 is that the most “controversial” and most hated film of the year is actually a decent live-action remake. #SnowWhite is not only one of their best live-action remakes in years, but it’s also a film that recaptures the magic of the 1937 movie. Rachel Zegler IS Snow White, and she delivers such a magical performance.”

Christopher also describes the musical numbers as “enchanting” and praises the visuals and the screenplay written by Erin Cressida Wilson.

Rachel Zegler’s performance was praised by critics

They were also quick to praise Zegler’s performance and singing ability. Katcy Stephan, a film reporter at Variety called Zegler a “shining supernova”. She posted, “Rachel Zegler is a shining supernova in #SnowWhite beautifully embodying the graceful, gentle nature of the OG Disney princess. It’s a visual feast with show-stopping new musical numbers and, of course, dozens of enchanting animated animals.”

The visuals and the animals are one of the parts we can’t wait to see.

Stevens praised the screenplay, as the story gives weight to a new plot that sees Snow White deviate from the traditional sweet princess saved by a prince.

Once again, Zegler’s performance was highlighted, with Filmhound Features editor Paul Klein saying she was “great”. Klein also called Gadot’s performance “fun”, but said the movie was let down by the “CGI dwarves”.

For context, there were no little-person actors playing the roles in Snow White.

Among the community, the CGI decision caused outrage and protests at the premiere. Actor Peter Dinklage previously condemned the decision to include the story of “seven dwarves living in a cave together” in the film.

Rachel Zegler was “enchanting”

Ash Crossan called Zegler “enchanting” over her voice for the Snow White musical numbers. Crossan also called the animals in the movie “adorable” and said the movie almost managed to make her cry. If that isn’t an achievement, we don’t know what is!

A pleasant surprise by Snow White

The negative press around Snow White seems to have made people expect the film to bomb. One critic wrote: “I was pleasantly surprised by Disney’s live-action Snow White! The classic magic can easily be found in the reimagining. The new songs are vibrant, catchy and breathe new life into the timeless tale. It’s most definitely one of the better Disney live-action remakes.”

Journalist Skyler Shuler expressed worry towards the remake, but said the film was “PURE DISNEY MAGIC!” On the remake, Shuler said Snow White will end up being people’s favorite Disney remake. That is a bold claim!

Internet said “I told you so”

Many social media users were not surprised that the movie had nice reviews. Some thought the controversy and bad press before was a smear camapaign, so the positive reviews were the undoing all of that. Others thought the reviews were justified, especially after the hate Zegler got for playing Snow White.

Here are some of the reactions to the positive reviews by critics.

Stay tuned for updates on Disney’s live action Snow White as the film releases soon!

author avatar
Sophie Humphrey
Sophie Humphrey is a freelance writer and journalist. Sophie has seven years experience in journalism and has a keen interest in pop culture and entertainment. Sophie has worked for the likes of Time Out London, The Upcoming and Screen rant.
See Full Bio