The highly controversial Snow White remake is facing more trouble as actresses Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot are reportedly feuding. Zegler, 23, plays Snow White while Gadot, 39, portrays the Evil Queen in this live-action adaptation.
Their disagreement seems to have spilled over from the screen into real life due to their differing stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With both actresses openly supporting opposing sides, experts warn that this could lead to potential backlash and a possible boycott.
Tensions rose further when the teaser trailer for Snow White was released recently, leading to criticism over the casting choices.
The Snow White remake, already troubled by scandals, faces a new setback as actresses Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot find themselves embroiled in a reported feud.
Rachel, a 23-year-old American actress, has been cast in the starring role of the upcoming live action remake.
Israeli actress Gal, aged 39, takes on the role of the Evil Queen in the movie. It seems like the tension between the two characters has seeped into reality due to their conflicting opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The decision to cast a Latina actress as a character famously portrayed as ‘white as snow’ left some puzzled, while others criticized the choice of a Jewish Israeli actress, Gal Gadot, in light of the current conflict, with pro-Palestinian viewers calling for a boycott and pro-Israel viewers finding it offensive to cast her in a negative role. Rachel, the actress in question, further stirred the pot by sharing the trailer on her social media and expressing gratitude for the support, followed by a tweet with the message ‘and always remember, free Palestine’. Zegler has been vocal about her pro-Palestinian stance since 2021, urging her fans to support emergency aid for Gaza. Some Israeli publications perceived Zegler’s comments as an insult to Gadot, yet the latter responded indirectly with a post featuring a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. emphasizing the power of love over hate. Despite their differing views on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Gadot and Zegler have not addressed any supposed feud between them publicly. Requests for comments from Zegler and Gadot’s representatives have been made to MailOnline.
The situation escalated when Rachel posted the trailer on her personal social media accounts and expressed her gratitude to fans for their support, also including the message: ‘never forget, free palestine’.
Although Gadot did not address Zegler’s remarks openly, she caught people’s attention by sharing her own post following the trailer’s release. In her post, she wrote about the power of love triumphing over hate.
Gadot recently appeared to take a jab at Zegler, with her X account briefly sharing a tweet that criticized using a co-star’s experiences in war to boost one’s image with young audiences. On the other hand, Disney has steered clear of controversial topics to avoid the backlash they faced previously. Zegler, who had upset fans with her negative comments about the classic Snow White film, seemed to have toned down her rhetoric. She had described the original storyline as strange and the Prince character as a stalker, insisting that any romance in the remake would be consensual.
The release of the $330 million Disney movie, directed by Marc Webb, was postponed to March 2024 due to the need for crisis talks to manage the fallout from Zegler’s comments. Additionally, the original diverse dwarf characters have been replaced by CGI versions more in line with the original cast. Despite Zegler’s promises for a more progressive remake, she faced backlash for her past negative remarks about Snow White in various interviews.
Critics have accused Zegler of being a fake feminist and engaging in gaslighting, while marketing experts have warned Disney to be cautious in how they portray Snow White. Branding expert Carla Speight noted that while Disney Princess films may reflect outdated values, trying to push extreme messaging as empowerment could backfire with audiences.
After facing numerous controversies linked to its woke approach that negatively impacted its stock value, Disney has shifted focus away from contentious topics. Formerly, Disney stars were trained on media interactions and were mindful of the influence of their statements, preferring to stick to discussing their films. However, the recent reimagination of Snow White as a “boss girl” has led some of the actors to express strong personal opinions, causing concern within Disney.
PR specialist Nick Ede supported this view, noting that by deviating from the classic fairy tale narrative, Snow White actress Rachel Zegler has disrupted the traditional storytelling. Zegler, known for her role in ‘West Side Story,’ shared her perspective on the character during a Disney event in September 2022. She criticized the original 1937 animated film for portraying a problematic love story, emphasizing a different angle in the new adaptation.
Zegler’s remarks sparked speculation about potential changes to her co-star Andrew Burnap’s scenes and reflected her apprehension about the Snow White ride at Disney World. She admitted to being scared of the original version and avoided revisiting it after a frightening experience on the attraction. This shift in perspective by the lead actress has raised questions about the direction Disney is taking with its beloved fairy tale characters.
Zegler seemed to have calmed down following backlash from fans when she expressed her dislike for the original 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. During a recent interview with Late Night host Jimmy Fallon, Zegler mentioned how she often ends up in line for the Disney ride based on the movie she claimed to hate. Despite criticism, Zegler defended the progressive changes made in the new adaptation of Snow White, emphasizing that the story now portrays a young woman with a more empowering narrative rather than just waiting for her prince. The Colombian-American actress faced scrutiny over her casting as Snow White due to the character traditionally being described as having fair skin. In response to the backlash, Zegler clarified that she would not be altering her skin tone for the role. In addition to Zegler’s remarks, the decision to replace the seven dwarfs with magical creatures in the remake also drew negative attention. DailyMail.com revealed that the characters were set to be portrayed by individuals of various ethnicities and one real dwarf, as a nod to modern sensibilities towards inclusivity. Initially, Disney denied the authenticity of these leaked images but later admitted they were indeed related to the movie’s production.
Disney’s Snow White, released in 1937, marked a major milestone in animation history as the first-ever full-length traditionally animated feature film by the studio. It revolutionized the way animated films were created and set the stage for Disney’s successful future in the world of animation.
The trailer for the upcoming Snow White adaptation features CGI characters instead of real-life dwarfs, shown dancing and singing alongside Zegler.
The original 1937 Disney version of the story follows Snow White as she makes friends with seven dwarfs while hiding from her evil stepmother who eventually poisons her. Prince Charming then saves her with a true love’s kiss, following the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale from 1812.
Upon its initial release, the film was a huge success for Disney, raking in millions of dollars worldwide. It was not only Disney’s first animated feature but also the first full-length traditionally animated film.
The new Snow White adaptation is scheduled to hit theaters in March 2025.