Disney will not roll out a grand red carpet for its new Snow White film. The reason is trouble. The stars, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, have stirred controversy. So Disney is keeping things quiet. Variety reports the premiere will happen at the El Capitan Theatre on March 15. There will be a small pre-party and a screening. But it will not be the usual spectacle. The press will not crowd the event. Only a few photographers will be there. Most of them will work for Disney.
What’s the Snow White Release Date?
Disney is moving forward despite the trouble. Snow White, directed by Marc Webb, opens in theaters on March 21. The trailer came out earlier this year. It has over 11.8 million views on YouTube.
Rachel Zegler’s Casting Sparks Heated Debate
Disney has said nothing about the backlash. But keeping the premiere small looks like an answer to months of anger online. Some Disney loyalists did not like Rachel Zegler, a Latina actress, playing a princess known for fair skin. Others disliked how she called the 1937 film “dated” and said the prince “literally” stalks Snow White.
People wanted her replaced. She did not back down. At D23 in 2022, she told the crowd this Snow White would not wait for a prince to save her. Some cheered. Others said Disney was changing beloved characters just to please the times.
The Debate Over the Seven Dwarfs Representation
Peter Dinklage, known for Game of Thrones, did not like Disney’s plan for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He spoke about it on a podcast with Marc Maron. “They were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, but you’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there.”
Political Divide Between Lead Actresses Fuels More Controversy
Some say the trouble behind the film is more interesting than the film itself. Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot stand on different sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Zegler supports Palestine. Gadot, who is Israeli, supports Israel.
On March 4, Gadot spoke at the Anti-Defamation League’s summit. She condemned those who cheered the October 7 Hamas attacks. She usually avoids politics, but she said October changed that. Zegler’s posts for Palestine have also caused backlash. Last month, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Captain America: Brave New World premiere. They opposed Marvel’s new Israeli superhero, Sabra.
Conclusion
Since Zegler and Gadot are politically on opposite sides, dwarfs protested, and traditionalists upset, Disney decided to scale down the premiere, expecting the audience to cry “Let It Go” instead of “Heigh-Ho”. As the House of Mouse navigates through this minefield of PC culture, one can only wonder if they have not chosen the title Snow White and the Seven PR Disasters. Still, Disney goes on, assuming that people will not care about the controversy and will turn their attention to the fairy tale instead.
When the film comes out on March 21, the audience will decide for themselves whether this reinterpretation is worthy of a happy ending or will remain locked in the cage of scandal for eternity. Until then, Disney’s suits must hope that their $200+ million investment was not a poisoned chalice for the box office.
FAQs
Q1: Why is Disney keeping the Snow White premiere low-key?
A: Disney had to avoid the tradition of making a grand announcement about the movie because of the controversies that surrounded it. Starting from Rachel Zegler stating that the original film is ‘dated’ to Peter Dinklage’s critique of the portrayal of dwarfs in the film, to the political rivalry between the leading ladies of the movie, Disney seems to be employing the ‘if we don’t make noise, maybe no one will notice all the drama’ tactic. The El Capitan premiere will be a small affair and there will be little in the way of press—Mickey’s publicity department seems to prefer snow to an avalanche.
Q2: What’s the controversy about Rachel Zegler’s casting?
A: Disney purists are in a twist over the decision to cast Latina actress Rachel Zegler to portray a princess whose name is a euphemism for skin color. Continuing the fairy tale controversy, Zegler labeled the 1937 version as ‘dated’ and accused the prince of ‘stalking’. At D23, she confidently stated that her Snow White would not be waiting for Prince Charming to come and rescue her, though some people applauded this idea while others criticized Disney for changing beloved characters for the sake of political correctness. It has been so severe that one would think that she was proposing to replace the dwarfs with Teletubbies.
Q3: What was Peter Dinklage’s issue with the film?
A: Peter Dinklage of Game of Thrones fame was quite blunt when it came to Disney’s dwarfs issue. In an interview with Marc Maron, he more or less said to Disney: “So you are progressive enough to cast a Latina as Snow White but still telling a story with possibly stereotypical representations of dwarfs?” His comments put Disney on the spot and made it play the game of Twister with the fantasy characters. The production has not disclosed how they are going to depict the dwarfs in the new version of the movie but there are rumors that they are going to use magical creatures instead of the original seven miners.
Q4: How has the Israel-Palestine conflict affected the film?
A: It is quite interesting that in a real life conflict, the two leading ladies find themselves in different teams. This woman is Israeli and has publicly supported Israel and recently spoke at an Anti-Defamation League summit against those who were rejoicing over the October 7 Hamas attacks. However, Rachel Zegler has taken sides with Palestine, thus causing tension.
Amit Gupta is a 2016 graduate of Delhi University, India. After working over a decade as an additional writer at TheScoopVilla, he decided to start his own news publication. He mainly focuses on Bollywood News, Hindi and South Indian Movies, Web series articles and editorials. He likes to cooking and play cricket in his free time. Follow On Facebook.