Ever since 23-year-old Rachel Zegler was cast in the live-action version of Disney's classic animated Snow White, her words and actions have been in the spotlight.
Recently, Zegler's remarks about Palestine on social media X have sparked controversy again, putting the postponed film back at the center of the conversation.
According to British media on August 19, on August 12, two days after the release of the movie trailer, Zegler posted a message on X: "Always remember, free Palestine. ”
This statement quickly sparked discussion, especially considering that the film also features an Israel actress, Gal Gadot, as the Evil Queen. There is speculation that there may be tensions between the two, but there is no conclusive evidence of this.
As Zegler's remarks continue to cause controversy, Disney is trying to avoid more negative effects. Previously, the company's stock price fell at one point due to Zegler's negative comments about the original 1937 film, including a plot that she called "weird" and the fact that the prince was seen as a "stalker". Zegler has publicly stated that she made sure that the kissing scenes in the new version of the film were consensual.
Filmmaking has had its ups and downs
Currently, the $330 million film, originally scheduled for release in March 2024, had to be postponed until March 2025 due to the negative response to Zegler's remarks.
In an interview, Zegler expressed her opinion on the new version of Snow White: "She will not be saved by the prince and will not dream of true love. This interpretation further deepens the public's attention to her personal views.
Some criticized her as a "fake feminist" and accused her of "manipulating public opinion". Marketing consultant Kara Spet believes that Disney needs to be more careful with the role of Snow White to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, brand expert Kara Spet noted: "While the original Disney princess movie retains some of the old values, Disney seems to have gone to the other extreme, trying to instill strong values in the audience that this is empowerment. ”
PR expert Nick Ede agrees with Spet and says Zegler could have represented her character better than choosing to ruin the storyline. He stressed that Zegler, one of the most famous fairy tale characters, should be more active in supporting the film rather than publishing a personal opinion that could be controversial.
Back in September 2022, at the Disney D23 Expo in California, Zegler said, "The original 1937 film is a bit outdated. It tells the story of a love story between a girl and a boy who has been stalking her, which is really weird. She also revealed that the role of Andrew Burnap, the prince character in the new version of the film, may be cut.
Zegler has mentioned on other occasions that she was terrified of the original 1937 film and even felt extremely upset while riding the "Snow White's Scary Adventure" ride at Disneyland. In a follow-up interview, she said that she often queues up to experience the project, and this ambivalence is incomprehensible.
In addition to Zegler's remarks, the reinvention of the seven dwarfs in the new version of the film has also attracted a lot of attention. Initial reports revealed that seven "magical (non-dwarf) creatures" would appear in the film to meet 21st-century standards of correctness. In the trailer, the audience sees the image of a dwarf created by CGI technology, which is more similar to the original.