Disney loves to pull in modern audiences by remaking its movie classics.
Unfortunately, those remakes often miss the mark when compared with the originals.
And there seems to be at least one glaring misstep along those lines with Disney’s remake of ‘Snow White”.
First of all, Snow White was classically described as having the fairest of skin – the very reasoning behind her name.
And you don’t have to have 20-20 vision (NOR MUST YOU BE RACIST!) to realize that Disney’s upcoming remake featuring Rachel Zegler simply does not match that key casting element captured in the original.
Rachel Zegler Says Prince Stalked Snow White In Original Film, Reveals Live-Action Version Is “Really Not About The Love Story At All” https://t.co/1lVANdIru9
— Bounding Into Comics (@BoundingComics) August 14, 2023
While Zegler’s Dad is of Irish decent, her mother is ethnically Colombian — and it shows.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with that — except that it doesn’t fit the classic description of Snow White.
Okay. I can almost get past that difference. In all fairness, the trailers that I have seen researching this story look absolutely incredible.
And though I really want my kids to be exposed to the “original” Disney content put out long before “wokeism” was even a thing… there is a good chance I’ll watch the new version with my kids. (Maybe — after my wife and I give it a once over. We don’t play around with hidden “wokeism” in this house.)
There is also another issue that die-hard Snow White fans have had a hard time with, and that is Zegler’s apparent lack of zeal for the original Snow White film.
She basically didn’t like the original, and admitted she only watched it once before being cast in the upcoming remake.
Rachel Zegler admitting she didn't like Snow White growing up, saying she had only watched it ONCE before getting the role is so sad to me. Out of MILLIONS of women who loved the character, care about the story and yet this is who we get. 🤡🤢 pic.twitter.com/IVKQN4FIHc
— Vara Dark (@Vara_Dark) August 10, 2023
And in that same vein of issues, there’s Zegler’s comments about the revisionist methodology that apparently went in to the remake.
According to Zegler, the original story was about a love story featuring a stalker prince who ultimately saves Snow White — and of course they live happily ever after.
Zegler says none of that will be a big part (or any part?) of the upcoming remake:
I really liked Zegler’s rise and performance in WSS but this Snow White press tour has been BAD.
Just an odd smugness as if reimagining this movie is some big favor to everybody while also acting as if it’s crazy to enjoy the original.
— Kenjac (@JackKennedy) August 13, 2023
But there are a few more impactful issues causing controversy around the upcoming release of Disney’s live-action “Snow White”.
And those issues have very little to do with the character or movie itself, and far more to do with Rachel Zegler’s insulting and often ignorant forays into political activism.
Of course, there’s the token “Free Palestine” thrown in on the occasional social media post:
and always remember, free palestine.
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) August 12, 2024
Though Zegler doesn’t seem to be as flimsy on her political rhetoric as some — her actions speak for themselves.
She is actually a member of Artist4Ceasefire, an organization which expressly pushed to end any Israeli retribution in response to the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas.
But in terms of domestic politics, Zegler also flat out attacked President Trump and his supporters recently.
She went so far as to wish Trump and Trump supporters would “never know peace”.
Disney's Snow White (Rachel Zegler) says she hopes harm befalls Trump and all his voters: pic.twitter.com/rEWlpOVZvu
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 13, 2024
Here’s a few images of her social media (Instagram stories) when President Trump won in November:
There is a good chance that an outburst like that, alone, could completely DOOM Disney’s remake of Snow White.
Not very ladylike of her, to be sure.
She even joked that the Prince Charming character could be cut from the film entirely.
At least, I think she was joking… but I might be too presumptuous in granting her that much grace.
Zegler didn’t mince words when she described the new “woke” version of the classic, according to an NBC story:
“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937,” Zegler said. “We absolutely wrote a ‘Snow White’ that … she’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.”
Another interview at the D23 Expo was also scrutinized on social media. In the sound bite, Zegler told Extra TV that there’s a big focus on Snow White’s love story in the original film “with a guy who literally stalks her.” She called that part of the story “weird” and said they “didn’t do that this time.”
“We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie,” she said. “It’s really not about the love story at all, which is really, really wonderful.”
She joked that all the scenes featuring Prince Charming “could get cut,” adding: “Who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby.”
In a third interview, which Entertainment Weekly published in September, Zegler said she was frightened by the original 1937 film and didn’t revisit it until she was cast as Snow White.
“I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I’m being so serious,” she said.
Ashten Stein, a brand strategist and TikToker, said Zegler’s comments make it appear as though she hasn’t had proper media training for “Snow White.”
“Clearly, Rachel has not been prepped properly, and there hasn’t been a proper foundation set for her to be marketing this movie,” said Stein, who also made a TikTok video weighing in on Zegler’s viral interviews. “And that shows in what she’s saying.”
Unfortunately for Zegler — and Disney — I’m afraid the X user Steph Anie nailed this down accurately.
There is very little chance that the damage control Zegler is now attempting in the weeks leading up to the release will be enough to make a difference.
No amount of damage control is going to make people watch the new Snow White movie or like Rachel Zegler. Sorry Disney #TeamPoisonApple pic.twitter.com/nq73pqO6fp
— Steph Anie (@mynerdyhome) February 25, 2025
As that post pointed out, Zegler is now attempting to walk back some of her earlier statements.
Funny how that tends to happen right before a big film release.
But from the social media backlash I’m seeing, it isn’t working.
Disney just keeps doubling down.. Their new Snow White should be boycotted and FLOPPED since they are pushing their social message and changing everything about the original Snow White..
To hell with these people..
— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) August 15, 2023
Is anyone surprised rachel zegler, a hollywood elite is a total hypocrite and a complete narcissist. https://t.co/vfnqsAyACt
— Hypnotic (@RealHypnotic1) August 15, 2023
Zegler is now speaking out about the controversies surrounding the role itself.
And when I say “speak out”, what I mean is she is attempting to frame the response of multitudes in a way that is beneficial to her, and defangs the actual backlash against her on social media.
Check out what she had to say about that backlash in a recent New York Post story:
She bit the apple.
Rachel Zegler, 23, is speaking out about her “Snow White” controversy.
“I interpret people’s feelings about this film as passion for it, and what an honor to be able to be a part of something that people are so passionate about,” she told Vogue Mexico in a profile published Monday.
“We’re not always going to have the same feelings as everyone around us and all we can do is give our best.”
The “West Side Story” star plays the titular role of Snow White in the upcoming live-action film.
More recently, Zegler sparked controversy after the “West Side Story” star spoke out against those who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Following her comments, some Trump supporters said they would boycott the project.
The “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” star also faced backlash for comments she made about the 1937 original animated “Snow White,” calling David Hand’s work “extremely dated.”
In the 2022 clip from the Disney D23 Expo that year, Zegler also made headlines when she made comments about how her rendition of the fairy tale would be more modern than the original film.
“She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true,” she said.
In a interview with Variety in October 2024, Zegler said, “In all honesty, it made me sad that [my comments were] taken in such a way, because I believe that women can do anything. But I also believe that they can do everything.”
Zegler later clarified that her comments about the “Snow White” romance were misinterpreted.
“I would never want to box someone in and say, ‘If you want love, then you can’t work.’ Or ‘If you want to work, then you can’t have a family.’ It’s not true,” she said. “It’s never been true. It can be very upsetting when things get taken out of context or jokes don’t land. The love story is very integral. A lot of people wrote that we weren’t doing [that storyline] anymore — we were always doing that; it just wasn’t what we were talking about on that day.”
There is also one final issue with the new Disney remake regarding the casting of Rachel Zegler as Snow White.
I believe a single meme recently shared on the platform X sums up quite nicely what my wife pointed out as I researched this story:
— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld_) February 23, 2025
There are some things so integral to a story — a classic story, no less — that to malign or reverse them doesn’t only minimize the impact of the telling…
But it can actually destroy the integrity of the story altogether.
Disney has become a master at making that mistake, but I have to give credit where credit is due.
Rachel Zegler has masterfully added to the usual Disney wreckage that ensues whenever they attempt to remake their classic movies.
I really hope the tremendous visual effects of the upcoming release aren’t marred beyond redemption by the “wokeism” and revisionist intent of Zegler or Disney.
I really want my kids to be able to see the stunning visuals of live-action woodland creatures, dwarves, and all the rest.
But I’ll rest easy knowing that if they messed this one up beyond repair, like so many others, the original still hits the nail on the head.
And there’s nothing wrong with the “old” stuff… anyway.
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