As Disney resurrects Snow White on the big screen, it has already garnered much controversy, largely due to its star, Rachel Zegler. For many, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs stands as a pinnacle of animation, a testament to Walt Disney’s vision and drive to set a new standard in entertainment. This reverence is why some of Disney’s creative choices for 2025’s Snow White seem baffling. As a film as indelible to the studio’s legacy as Beauty and the Beast, Frozen or Toy Story, Snow White has sparked challenging conversations about modern entertainment and cultural shifts.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937, chronicled the journey of the titular Disney princess, her seven companions, and the love of her life. As the first Disney princess film and one of the most influential movies in cinematic history, this award-winning endeavor proved that feature-length animated films were not only viable but a legitimate art form on par with their live-action counterparts. After the success of The Little Mermaid remake, the next princess to receive a live-action treatment by Disney was Snow White. Starring Rachel Zegler of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and West Side Story fame, the film became infamous for its tumultuous production and its cast’s controversial commentary.

How Rachel Zegler Challenged the Legacy of a Disney Classic

The Actress Criticized Aspects of the “Dated” Tale

Image via Disney

Disney is no stranger to controversy surrounding its stars, whether it’s Star Wars’ Mark Hamill’s divisive public remarks or Gina Carano’s infamous commentary that led to her abrupt removal from The Mandalorian. It’s not uncommon for audiences to be offended by what celebrities say outside their respective projects. In the case of Rachel Zegler, much of the backlash to the upcoming Snow White remake stems from her off-screen comments, particularly about the original film. Zegler’s remarks started debates, positing how Walt Disney’s beloved classic became a battleground for modern political tensions and how today’s world is reshaping a once-timeless fairy tale.

Disney’s first princess film holds a cherished place in Disney’s 100 years of animation, not only for its groundbreaking impact but also for the nostalgia it evokes for many people. As one of Walt Disney’s first major feature films, it naturally carries emotional weight and fond memories for generations of fans. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was listed among the 100 greatest American films by The American Film Institute and in 2008, heralded as the greatest American animated movie in history. No matter the criticisms against it, the 1937 film’s influence on Disney, childhood, or the animation industry as a whole is undeniable.

When Rachel Zegler, in a 2022 interview with extratv, called the original film “dated” and criticized elements like Snow White’s relationship with a “guy who literally stalks her,” many saw these comments as abrasive, even disrespectful. Her remark that the film was “weird, weird” also didn’t sit well with a portion of the fanbase, prompting swift backlash. To complicate matters, an earlier interview in which Zegler criticized Disney’s potentially problematic portrayal of princesses and women in positions of power while noting how the film scared her as a child only added fuel to the fire. Many fans questioned if Disney made the right choice when casting Rachel Zegler for such an iconic role.

Beyond her comments, Rachel Zegler’s role as Snow White was met with further controversy in light of Disney’s recent push for more culturally representative storytelling. Disney’s live-action remakes have generated contrasting reactions when it comes to casting in recent years. Films like 2019’s Aladdin and 2020’s Mulan were praised for featuring casts that reflected the ethnic backgrounds of the characters. However, other remakes, such as the upcoming Lilo & Stitch, faced backlash, with some fans arguing that Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, cast as Nani, did not resemble the character’s Pacific Islander features. Similarly, 2023’s The Little Mermaid initiated debates about casting Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy in roles rooted in Danish literature and sometimes interpreted through an LGBTQ+ lens. Zegler, who is half-Colombian and half-Polish, began similar discussions.

How Snow White’s Trailer Garnered a Historic Backlash

Audiences Continue to Take Issue With the Film

 

While debates rage on, and the discourse couldn’t be more heated or toxic unless brewed in the Evil Queen’s cauldron, it’s impossible to deny that the backlash is real. When the first Snow White trailer dropped in 2024, it quickly racked up more than a million dislikes, with the number only growing as the film inches toward its release. It’s common for reboots and remakes to face criticism, but this level of response feels unprecedented as it reaches historical lows. The response to the Snow White trailer raises questions about what exactly sparked this reaction, and whether it’s solely centered on Rachel Zegler’s casting.

As accusations fly and heated words are exchanged, finding legitimate reasons for Snow White’s rejection has become difficult. Some audiences are critical of the direction Disney has taken, feeling the modern reimagining is straying too far from the magic of the original. Others believe Disney is rushing the project in an attempt to soften backlash from Zegler’s earlier comments, as well as those of her co-star, Peter Dinklage. For context, Dinklage faced controversy from his peers after criticizing the portrayal of dwarfs in the original film, leading Disney to change these characters into “magical creatures.” Not once are the characters addressed as dwarves in the Disney movie. However, the 2024 trailer’s reveal of CGI characters left many feeling they had crossed into the uncanny valley.

Complaints also brought up the film’s muted color palette and overreliance on CGI, which some see as an insult to the vibrant animation that made the 1937 Snow White movie a cultural touchstone. Despite Zegler’s professionalism in thanking fans for the overwhelming number of trailer views, a follow-up pro-Palestinean comment on X reignited the controversy. While there’s always a time and place for political comments, her remarks made some fans consider further when it’s appropriate to address politically charged issues and if audiences should be able to separate the artist from their art.

Snow White Proved To Be A Massive Disappointment

The Remake Was Met With Unanimous Negative Reception

Image via Disney

Snow White had been surrounded by controversy long before it hit theaters on March 12, and it continues to spark heated debates following its worldwide release. The trailer was already a clear indication that the movie was going to fail, but no one would’ve expected the movie to perform as horribly as it did. With a dreary opening weekend – $87 million worldwide – and a unanimous negative reception among critics and the public audience, fans will likely remember this live-action Snow White as one of the biggest Disney box office bombs in recent years.

As usual in the entertainment industry, every disaster calls for someone to blame. Critics of the movie seem to have unfairly placed most of this burden upon Zegler, who had found herself at the center of a hate campaign since she joined the movie. Little about Snow White’s failure has anything to do with Zegler’s casting. There’s a consensus among critics that Disney’s Snow White falls victim to horrible CGI and lifeless visuals. A recurring complaint about Disney’s recent movies is how exorbitant budgets don’t reflect the final product. Snow White cost $209 million, and it’s nearly impossible to see where this money went in the production.

The latest controversies around Snow White refer to an episode where Marc Platt, the film’s producer, flew to New York to speak directly with Zegler following her pro-Palestinian statements. The studio wanted no part in political disagreements, and the goal was to have Zegler delete her post on X, but to no avail. Following this episode, Platt’s son, Jonah, publicly stated that Zegler “dragged her personal politics” into the film’s promotional campaign and affected its box office performance. An insider told Variety that Zegler “didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone.”

Rachel Zegler Continues to Address the Criticism She Faced

The Actress Argues Her Comments Were Willfully Misconstrued

Image via Disney

In an interview with Variety, Zegler spoke about how she was affected by the response to her 2022 comments on Snow White. The actress recalls being disappointed by the way fans interpreted her comments on Snow White’s love story. Despite initial reactions, she never intended for her comments to imply that the film would be omitting the romantic aspect of the plot. Zegler explains:

“The love story is very integral. A lot of people wrote that we weren’t doing [that storyline] anymore — we were always doing that; it just wasn’t what we were talking about on that day.”

Zegler’s version of the iconic Disney princess is a more independent and dynamic character than previous iterations. The actress’ comments aimed to highlight this unique aspect of the upcoming Disney remake. The public insists on blaming Zegler for Snow White‘s failure, missing the heart of the problem: what is the point of remaking a movie if the goal is not to deliver something new and imaginative? Zegler’s concerns prior to the film’s release targeted only the outdated aspects of the story, not the project itself. Snow White‘s underwhelming box office performance is not related to any political implications or casting concerns. It simply reflects the public’s fatigue in the face of old ideas that remain old, stale.

What Snow White Has to Teach the World

There Are a Few Important Messages Within the Story

In today’s world, it’s become clear that issues are often more complex than people like to give them credit for. While some actions and words are inexcusable, high emotions can make it difficult to respectfully approach differing viewpoints. As audiences clash from opposite sides of a less-than-magical kingdom, they should reflect on the visionary views Walt Disney himself represented: acknowledging the past, embracing progress, and always striving to build a happier, more inclusive world.

It doesn’t take a magic mirror to reveal who a person truly is; it’s often how they treat others and how they present themselves that says the most. Despite the criticisms, Disney’s Snow White has always embodied compassion, charity, and romance, qualities the world could always use more of. Thanks to modern technology and the internet, it really is a small world after all, and everyone must share it. Standing up against injustice and fighting for what’s right is vital, but so is finding common ground and learning to communicate. After all, one of the greatest lessons Disney has to teach audiences is that the magic they learned to believe in isn’t just about fantasy; it’s about believing in a better future, one that people can only create together.