(AFP) – Animated classic Disney live-action remakes are usually a safe bet. But the new version of “Snow White” was caught up in controversy after a unusually modest premiere in Hollywood on Saturday.
The studio did not have any red carpet interviews. There were no red carpet interviews. There were no red carpet interviews.
It follows a similarly resolved European premiere on Wednesday at a remote castle in Segovia, Spain.
Negation began in 2021 like Snow White with the casting of Zegra, a Latina.
This has been predictably accused of being “awakened” by some fans and conservative commentators.
“Yes, I'm Snow White. No, I'm not bleaching my skin for that role,” Colombian and Polish American actress Zegler wrote in a tweet since.
However, criticism spread more widely across Disney's loyal fanbase when Zegler appeared to repeatedly reveal “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Walt Disney's first feature-length animation.
Zegler described the beloved original as “strange” because Snow White's love interest is “literally a man who creeps up her.”
This time, “She's not going to be saved by the prince. She's not going to dream of true love,” Zegler said in one interview at Disney Forums that was blown up by fans who are craving those traditional ratios to exactly.
Zegler is extraordinarily open to Hollywood standards.
She publicly complained about not being invited to the 2022 Oscar Gala despite being a star of Best Picture nominated West Side Story. She eventually put the invitation in the bag.
“Zegler is not necessarily the most malignant celebrity when it comes to media and the internet,” slate journalist Nadiragov wrote in a 2023 column.
“She has a nasty attitude for attractive, nasty people, and others have a slightly glib and grated attitude.”
Zegler, who exacerbated Disney's headaches, has approved a social media post in “Free Palestine,” but Gadot, who plays the evil queen, has expressed his public support for her hometown of Israel.
Disney did not respond to requests for AFP comment.
“A story of retreat”
And then there's the issue of seven dwarfs who were prominently dropped from the new film title “Snow White at Disney.”
Perhaps Hollywood's most famous actor, Peter Dinklege, has denounced Disney's “hypocrisy” for making a new “Snow White” film.
In a 2022 interview with podcaster Mark Maron, the “Game of Thrones” actor questioned Disney's “pride in casting the Latina actress as Snow White,” but thought the remake of “The Rear Story of Seven Dwarfs Living in a Cave” made sense.
Disney quickly issued a statement pledging to take a “another approach” “to avoid reinforcement of stereotypes from the original animated film.”
In the new film, the dwarves are not human actors, but rather magical creatures like cartoon-style gnomes created by computer-generated visual effects.
This itself caused a backlash. Some actors with dwarfism have blamed Dinklage.
“He says he canceled these roles because there aren't many roles in Hollywood for the Dwarves…it hurts the dwarves acting community.”
'passion'
Overall, Disney's latest live-action film has proven to be far more controversial than multi-billion dollar collectible remakes like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.
According to Forbes, “Snow White at Disney” cost more than $200 million, as it was hit by delays from the pandemic and Hollywood strike.
Disney hopes that when it comes to theaters next weekend, all of its promotions will prove to be good advertising.
“I interpret people's feelings about this film as a passion for it,” Zegler told Vogue Mexico.
“What an honor to be part of people being so passionate about it.”
