Disney has scaled back the premiere of its upcoming live-action Snow White movie amid continued controversy around the film. Originally planned as a grand event, the showcase has been downsized to a modest pre-party and screening at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre on March 15th. Only photographers and house crew will be present, with limited media interactions. In response to these issues, Disney has also cancelled the London premiere and opted for a more controlled promotional approach. The live-action remake is now scheduled for release on March 21st. The change comes after the remake became the relentless subject of numerous criticisms.
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Not only was the film drawing backlash for merely being another live-action reimagining of an animated classic, but the necessary changes drew negative attention. For instance, the portrayal of dwarfs following Peter Dinklage’s reaction in February 2022 polarised some.
“Literally no offense to anything, but I was sort of taken aback,” he said on the WTF With Mark Maron podcast in January 2022. “They were very proud to cast a Latino 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.”
Disney responded by saying that in order to avoid perpetuating stereotypes, they were “taking a different approach” with these characters and had been speaking with people in the dwarfism community. This choice, however, sparked more debate because several performers with dwarfism believed that eliminating dwarf characters completely would restrict their ability to perform.
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Controversy also continues around the choice of Latina actress Zegler playing Snow White, with some questioning her suitability for the role based on the character description “skin as white as snow.” The eponymous actress, who is of Colombian and Polish origin, prompted debate over whether a character with European roots should be played by a non-white actor, with some arguing it is a case of identity politics. However, Zegler responded by saying she was inspired by Black actress Brandy Norwood who starred in the 1997 live-action Cinderella movie.
“I grew up in a house where that was Cinderella. Obviously, we watched the cartoon. But a child’s mind is the most amazing thing, where it’s just like, ‘OK, that’s Cinderella,’” she told Variety. “But the blond-haired, blue-eyed, blue-dress Cinderella from the 1950s cartoon is also Cinderella. Also, Hilary Duff is Cinderella in A Cinderella Story.”
Noting her impact on the Colombian community, she went further to say, “You’re not taking on this role to fit the mould of the critics. You’re doing this for every little Colombian girl who has yet to see themselves in a role like a Disney princess.”
Fans’ fury was further fuelled by Zegler’s political beliefs and previous remarks that criticised the original 1937 animated classic during a D23 event in September 2022.
On Snow White’s modernized version in the remake, the star said, “We wanted to give Snow White a bit more agency. She is not just waiting for a prince to come and save her. She is her own person and we really wanted to show her strength.”
Sparking further debate among hardcore fans, she added, “The story of Snow White is about a young woman finding her own power. She is not just some passive character anymore—she’s active, she’s aware, she’s strong, and she’s definitely not waiting for a prince to save her.”
Fans reacted by saying she was unworthy of the role, and argued Disney should have written an original story instead of manipulating a classic, with some going as far to say, “Walt Disney is rolling his grave.” Zegler later attempted to extinguish the flames by clarifying she meant women can do “everything,” and not simply wait for a guy to rescue them.
Snow White is scheduled for theatrical release on March 21st.
