Almost everyone who has seen the Disney princess movies has also picked their favorite princess from among the group. But how often is Snow White taking up that number one spot?
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” was both the first feature-length animated Disney film and the first in the long line of Disney princesses. On March 21, the 1937 movie earned a live-action revamp, but it was accompanied by an extreme amount of drama.
When Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot were attached as the big names for the project, Disney probably did not expect the waves of hate that would quickly follow. This was not Zegler’s first time working with Disney, as she was in its 2021 remake of “West Side Story.” But this casting decision very quickly went downhill for many reasons.
The first issue Zegler encountered was in August 2024 after attending Disney’s D23 fan event where they premiered the first trailer for “Snow White.” Later on, she made a post on X, , formerly known as Twitter, thanking fans for their trailer views. In the comments, she added a quick note in a response to her original post saying, “and always remember, free palestine.”
She was quickly met with extreme backlash, especially by those who are fans of her co-star Gadot. According to a Variety article, this led to Zegler receiving several death threats behind the scenes, which caused Disney to invest in extra security for her and her family.
Even after this online debacle, Zegler did not seem to censor herself when it came to political issues. Sometime around the election, she posted a temporary Instagram story speaking out against President Donald Trump and those who voted for him. She later had to apologize in a separate Instagram story for her comments.
Despite the issues Zegler caused leading up to the movie’s release, she also faced hate for simply being cast as Snow White. Many were opposed to her playing the princess because she is part-Hispanic. This is a problem she has run into with Disney before, when fans had the opposite reactions for her casting as Maria in “West Side Story.”
RELATED: Review | Pixar’s ‘Win or Lose’ is a home run in empathy
Many people also believed she was unfit to play the role based on how she claimed to view the original animated movie. A Variety article from October 2024 references one of her D23 interviews from 2022 in which she calls the animated movie “weird.”
Some of the details of the movie itself managed to fuel the flames of controversy. Early on, the creators of the movie announced that instead of hiring anyone to portray the dwarves, they were going to be created by CGI. This not only put seven people out of jobs but also created a near-terrifying experience when looking at them as a viewer.
All these different issues coming together to create this movie honestly made sitting through it difficult. I tried to go in with a clear mind, to give it a chance, but there were many moments when I just could not stand what I was seeing.
It was clear the writers tried to make Snow White a brave leader archetype, but it did not work well. By casting an actress like Zegler, who has a very strong voice, and cutting her pining after a prince she does not know, this should have been able to manifest. However, writers still use the man Snow White falls in love with to remind her she can be brave.
I also disliked how off-track the remake seemed from the original. Even as someone who did not enjoy the animated film, it was still something I would rather watch over the live-action version. And that is considering the 1937 classic barely has a plot, which writers had to remedy for the remake, adding new exposition to both the beginning and end.
Overall, there are so many ways the creators could have transformed Snow White into a brave character — a role we have seen in several films and shows before.
I held out some hope for this movie, but unfortunately, it let me down.