Disney is set to screen the live-action remake of Snow White this weekend without a red carpet, instead only inviting a small selection of photographers and an in-house videography crew amid the film’s years-long controversies.
Going against the studio’s tradition of hosting glitzy premieres, the more sober March 15 event traces back all the way from 2021.
The CGI dwarves were heavily criticised. (Source: Walt Disney Studios)
These controversies range from the casting of Rachel Zegler (Snow White) as well as Gal Gadot (The Evil Queen), to its use of CGI to represent the seven dwarves.
The film was originally set to be released in September 2024 and is probably one of Disney’s biggest headaches ATM, so let’s have a quick rundown of what went wrong with this princess flick.
Disney didn’t hire actors with dwarfism for Snow White
Actor Peter Dinklage commented on Disney’s move to make a remake of its 1937 animated film, stating that it was “backwards” in a podcast back in 2022.
“I was a little taken aback by [the fact] they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White,” Dinklage said.
“You’re progressive in one way but you’re still making that fucking backward story of seven dwarves living in the cave. What the fuck are you doing, man?
“Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough.”
Fellow actor and Jackass alum Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuña said in an interview with TMZ that Disney was “replacing jobs” by not hiring actors with dwarfism.
“You’re replacing jobs that people could have as little people,” he said.
“It’s for dwarfs. Why are you hiring ‘Snow White and the seven average people’?”
Disney ended up using CGI to represent the dwarves instead of human actors in an attempt to reflect the original 1937 characters, but they look like they all belong in the uncanny valley.
In the end, Disney kind of just ended up pleasing nobody with this one.
Have we learnt nothing from Sonic the Hedgehog!?! (Source: Walt Disney Studios)
Disney casting Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot
Disney first announced the casting of Rachel Zegler as Snow White in June 2021, and Gal Gadot’s role as the Evil Queen in November of that year.
The casting of Zegler, a Latina actress, in the titular role was criticised since the character is described as having “skin as white as snow”, leading to Zegler responding to the backlash in a conversation with Andrew Garfield in Variety’s Actors on Actors series.
“You don’t normally see Snow Whites that are of Latin descent,” Zegler said.
“Even though Snow White is really a big deal in Spanish-speaking countries. Blanca Nieves is a huge icon whether you’re talking about the Disney cartoon or just different iterations and the Grimm fairy tale and all the stories that come with it.”
Zegler was also criticised for her comments on the original 1937 portrayal of the character and the prince, describing the latter as “weird” at the 2022 D23 Expo.
“There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her,” Zegler said.
“Weird! Weird. So we didn’t do that this time.”
Zegler’s comments were criticised for attempting to make the film “more feminist”, but let’s be real here: the original Snow White and Prince’s ages were 14 and 18, respectively, so maybe a little revamp to the original story isn’t exactly a bad thing.
Gadot’s casting was in turn criticised due to her stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, having served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) for two years.
Zegler and Gadot’s opposing views on the Israel-Gaza conflict
Both Zegler and Gadot’s casting has led to both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups calling for boycotts for the film.
Zegler has been vocal about her views on the conflict, with the star tweeting “and always remember, free Palestine” following the film’s first trailer release.
Zegler’s tweet. (Source: X)
Gadot has been vocal on her Pro-Israel stance and posted on Instagram in October 2023 that she “stand[s] with Israel, you should too”.
Zegler also commented on the controversy in a 2024 Variety interview, stating that she’s “followed the conflict for many years”.
“I can’t watch children die,” Zegler said.
“I’m only responsible for what I feel. And then I’m also responsible for how I act upon it.
“We’re nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, but I’ve been following this conflict for so many years. Like so many people, I’m so heartbroken by the loss of life that we’re seeing with these insane death tolls coming out of both regions.”
The two stars haven’t publicly addressed their pretty opposing viewpoints, although they have been seen together, most recently at the 97th Academy Awards.
Snow White is shaping up to become Disney’s most controversial remake yet, and only time will tell if they’ll keep making live-action princess flicks in the coming years. (Can’t wait to read the reviews for this one.)
Frankly, I reckon they should stick to animation.
The post A Quick Explainer On All The Snow White Controversies Making Disney Exec’s Lives Hell appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
