Gadot & Ziegler Make Disney Scale Back Snow White Premiere

Disney has made the decision to scale back the Hollywood premiere of Snow White amid ongoing controversies involving two of its lead stars, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot.

The film, which is a live-action remake of the beloved Disney classic, has faced significant backlash due to comments made by both actresses, leading to questions about its public reception.

Snow White Premiere Is Not Getting Special Treatment

Disney is premiering Snow White on March 15 but will have a more low-key red carpet than usual.

The Snow White premiere at El Capitan Theatre will include a pre-party and screening, with stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot expected to attend. However, the red carpet will be more limited than usual, as Disney is not inviting the usual dozens of media outlets to interview the cast and creatives.

Coverage of the Snow White premiere will be limited to photographers and a house crew, with no media interviews. Disney has not commented on the decision, but the scaled-back event comes amid controversies surrounding the Marc Webb-directed film, set to release on March 21.

Snow White and Backlash

Rachel Zegler faced backlash from some Disney fans over her casting as Snow White due to her Latina heritage. She also drew criticism for calling the 1937 original “dated” and saying the prince “literally stalks Snow White.”

In a Variety interview at D23 two years ago, Rachel Zegler shared that her version of Snow White will differ from the original, emphasizing independence over romance. She stated that the character “won’t be saved by the prince” or “dreaming about true love” but instead aspires to become the leader she knows she can be.

Other Controversies

Peter Dinklage criticized Snow White for reinforcing negative stereotypes about little people. On the WTF With Marc Maron podcast in January 2024, he noted the irony of Disney celebrating diverse casting while still telling the traditional Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs story, urging the studio to rethink its approach.

After Peter Dinklage’s criticism, Disney told Good Morning America that they are taking a different approach to the seven characters and consulting with the dwarfism community to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original film.

Rachel Ziegler attributes the backlash to Snow White to fans’ passion for the original film. In Vogue Mexico’s March issue, she called it an honor to be part of something so beloved and emphasized that while not everyone will agree, the cast and crew are doing their best. (Variety independently translated her quotes from Spanish to English.)

What About Gal Gadot?

World politics have influenced the Snow White film’s controversy. Rachel Zegler has supported “free Palestine” on social media, while Gal Gadot, who is Israeli, has been a vocal supporter of Israel. Gadot delivered a passionate speech on March 4 at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual summit, condemning celebrations and justifications of violence against Jews in various cities worldwide.

Gal Gadot has typically avoided political topics but felt compelled to speak out after the October 7 Hamas attack.

In February, pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Hollywood premiere of Captain America: Brave New World, calling for a boycott due to the inclusion of the Israeli superhero Ruth Bat-Seraph (Sabra), played by Israeli actress Shira Haas.

MAGA supporters criticized Rachel Zegler for her Instagram post about Donald Trump’s reelection, where she wrote, “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.” She apologized for the remarks two days later.

Are They Promoting the Movie Whatsoever?

Snow White publicity has featured Gadot and Zegler presenting together at the Oscars, with Zegler later making a promotional appearance in Tokyo. Ziegler and director Marc Webb will also visit Spain, and Zegler will host a screening in New York City for the Broadway community.

Gadot appeared on Good Morning America in support of the film. The official trailer has gained 11.8 million views on YouTube since its release three months ago.

Will you be watching Snow White from Disney?

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