- Disney has pulled back the premiere of the live-action Snow White film
- The film stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gagot as the Evil Queen
- The premiere has been scaled back for a few reasons
Unsurprisingly Disney has scaled back the premiere of the live-action Snow White movie, which is scheduled for 15 March. The film has been at the center of controversy since the first trailer came out in 2022. This has prompted the company to make the premiere smaller, at least that’s what many people think. Variety reports that there will not be a regular big red carpet. Instead, there will be a “pre-party and screening at the El Capitan Theatre” with stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. Zegler plays the titular character, while Gadot plays the cunning Evil Queen.
Interestingly there will also be a lack of media outlets at the premiere, which is almost unheard of. At the Another Simple Favor premiere, Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick sparked buzz amid feud rumors thanks to their interviews. So perhaps Disney is just playing it safe? It appears so, as coverage will be “limited to photographers and a house crew.” Nevertheless, the film’s release will go as planned on 21 March.
Read More: Rachel Zegler addresses Snow White live action backlash
But why is there a big controversy around the live-action Snow White? And what would prompt Disney to scale back the film’s premiere? We will break it down.
Why is Disney scaling back Snow White?
Rachel Zegler controversy
The answer is because of the immense controversy the film has received since its announcement. When it was announced that Zegler, the star of West Side Story would play Snow white, people were irate. Zegler is Colombian and Polish, while the Disney princess is famously white. People seemed to be shocked a woman of color was playing a character with skin as white as snow.
In 2023 Zegler responded to the abuse she received on X. “Extremely appreciative of the love I feel from those defending me online, but please don’t tag me in the nonsensical discourse about my casting,” Zegler said.
In September 2022, the actress made other comments that triggered fans. She said to Variety at D23 that the original Snow White from 1937 was outdated because the prince “literally stalks Snow White.” Further commenting on the updated film, she said Snow White would “not be saved by the prince” and would be a leader herself.
The comments caused outrage among original Disney fans, but it doesn’t stop there.
The controversy of the Snow White dwarfs
In the original film, there are famously seven little people. They were miners in a diamond mine, they adopted Snow White as their own and protected her. Peter Dinklage said on the WTF with Mark Maron Podcast he was surprised Disney cast a Latina actress but was “still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” In the early trailers of the movie, the seven men appeared.
Disney backtracked on the usage of little people in the film: “To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community,” the House Of Mouse said.
Rumors have swirled that because of the backlash, the film’s ending was changed in post-production. This would mean that the dwarfs may not have a place in the movie, although this has not been verified.
A post on X seems to think the new group that saves Snow White is called the Bandits and her love interest, Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) is one of them. However, Zegler previously referred to Jonathan as “the prince”, so we aren’t sure about that.
No official changes have been confirmed by Disney, so do with that what you will.
Differing political views
There have been rumors and whisperings that Gadot and Zegler don’t get along because of politics. Gadot is a proud Israeli actress who served in the Israel Defence Forces. Gadot has openly supported her country and spoken fondly of her service online.
Meanwhile, Zegler has been a vocal advocate for the “Free Palestine” movement, a cause focused on seeking freedom for Palestinians, who many view as being under Israeli occupation, particularly in Gaza. Her support comes amidst a surge in social media activism, amplified by the 7 October attacks carried out by Hamas, a militant group.
Often on her socials, Zegler has spoken about Palestine. In August 2024 she wrote: “And always remember, free Palestine.”
Speculation by fans has made them think the actresses do not like each other because of their vastly different views, but they have never confirmed nor denied this.
Awkwardness at the Oscars
In addition to their alleged differences, many viewers thought the two did not get on, especially at the Oscars. The ladies presented the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Viewers concluded that the two’s delivery was awkward and strange. Many people also thought the two refused to look at each other, but this is merely based on speculation.
It certainly is a PR nightmare though, and Disney is working overtime!
The company has not confirmed why they decided to scale down the premiere, but we know the event will be smaller than originally planned. Until Disney confirms the reason (which they probably won’t), Snow White fans can only guess.
