Typically, large numbers of reporters interview the stars of such high-budget films on the red carpet at their premieres. However, journalists were generally not allowed to attend the Hollywood premiere on March 15th or the European premiere, which took place three days earlier at a remote castle in Northern Spain.
It is believed that the restricted access for the media to the stars and the creative team may be linked to a surge of online comments and more serious political discussions throughout the film’s production. The movie is set to be released in Germany on March 20th and in the US the following day.
Racist Reactions
Racist comments began in June 2021 when Rachel Zegler was announced as the lead. Zegler, who made her film debut in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of West Side Story, is of Colombian and Polish descent. Some racist commentators were outraged by the choice of a Latina to portray the title character. They had similarly decried the casting of Black actress, Halle Bailey, for Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2023).
Zegler has mentioned that the backstory for the name Snow White is not about her skin color but rather about another version of the fairytale where the girl survives a snowstorm as a baby. The king and queen decide to name her Snow White as a reminder of her resilience.
Ditching the ‘Stalker’
The new film also avoids the outdated trope of a girl needing a prince to save her. As Zegler put it, the original cartoon from 1937 showed a clear focus on stalking, with Snow White only being saved by a love interest who follows her. The new film, on the other hand, centers on an internal journey to find true self, meeting many characters along the way.
Representation of the Seven Dwarfs
Award-winning actor, Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism, questioned Disney’s decision to use CGI for the dwarfs in an interview in 2022. Though Dinklage praised Disney for casting a Latina as Snow White, he felt it was contradictory to then depict a “backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together”.
A day after the interview, Disney announced it would change Snow White’s co-stars to “magical creatures” created with CGI. However, many actors from little people communities view this decision as a loss of potential roles in a major production.
Boycott Calls Over Gal Gadot’s Casting
When Disney released the first “Snow White” teaser in 2024, there were calls to boycott the movie from Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions activists due to the casting of Israeli actress Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman”) as the Evil Queen. Gadot has continued to show support for Israel since the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023, and her stance has sparked controversy and calls for a boycott.
Co-star Rachel Zegler has added #freePalestine hashtags in her social media promotion of the film, further fueling rumors of a feud between the stars.
An Evolving Story
Critics of the changes to Snow White’s character and her portrayal in Disney’s 1937 adaptation should be aware of the various liberties Disney originally took with the Brothers Grimm’s fairytale. The Brothers Grimm collected oral folk tales and made changes and additions until the seventh edition of their Children’s and Household Tales in 1857.
A significant change between the original Brothers Grimm and Disney’s adaptation is how Snow White is revived. In Disney’s version, Snow White wakes up from the prince’s kiss, but in the Brothers Grimm’s tale, a servant of the prince causes Snow White to cough out the poisoned apple when he accidentally strikes her back.
The Evil Queen’s fate also differs between the two versions. In the Brothers Grimm tale, she is punished by wearing red-hot iron slippers and dancing to death at Snow White’s wedding. In contrast, Disney’s version has the Evil Queen fall to her death due to lightning striking the edge of a cliff.
Edited by: Sara Hucal
