Oh boy Disney's live-action " Snow White " was supposed to be a magical moment right? Instead it turned into a rollercoaster of controversy drama and well box office disappointment. From day one it seemed like this movie jUSt could not catch a break. Let's unpack all the real-life drama that swirled around this fairytale gone wrong.
From Casting Chaos to Dwarf Debates: The Early Storm Clouds Over Snow White
The trouble started way back when Rachel Zegler was cast as Snow White. Immediately some corners of the internet got upset. Why? BecaUSe Zegler is of Colombian descent and the cartoon Snow White is famously "white as snow." Some people just could not handle a Latina princess. Zegler fired back online calling out the "losers obsessed with maintaining the bloodline purity of a cartoon princess". It was a sign of bumpy times ahead.
Then came Peter Dinklage's criticism. The actor called out Disney for being "progressive" by casting a Latina Snow White but still telling a "f--king backwards story about seven dwarfs". He felt it was hypocritical and that the portrayal of dwarfs in the story was outdated. Disney actually listened to this criticism and said they would take a "different approach" to the seven characters consulting with the dwarfism community. Ultimately they went with CGI for the dwarfs and cast actors of varying heights for voice roles. Even this did not stop the chatter though. Leaked set photos and official reveals of the CGI dwarfs sparked even more debate online.
"Weird" Plot Lines and Geopolitical Fallout: Rachel Zegler's Comments Add Fuel to the Fire
Rachel Zegler kept stirring the pot with comments about the movie's plot. She called the original "Snow White" love story with the prince "weird" and said the remake would not focus on that. This did not sit well with some fans who felt like she was disrespecting the classic story. They thought Snow White IS a love story. Why change it?
As if casting and plot debates weren't enough geopolitics got involved. The trailer dropped in August 2024 and suddenly there was focus on Zegler and her co-star Gal Gadot's views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Gadot who plays the Evil Queen is Israeli and has been outspoken in support of Israel. Zegler on the other hand showed support for Palestine online even adding "always remember free Palestine" to a social media post promoting the movie. This created rumors of tension between the two actresses and definitely added another layer of controversy to the whole project.
Feud Rumors Box Office Disappointment and Producer's Son's Scathing Critique
Despite Disney trying to downplay any feud between Zegler and Gadot by having them present together at the Oscars rumors kept swirling. The premiere was scaled back feeling less like a major Disney event and more low-key. Then the movie finally opened and... it underperformed. "Snow White" only made around $43 million in its opening weekend in the US and Canada. Worldwide it grossed $87.3 million. Considering it cost a reported $270 million to make that is not a fairytale ending. Critics were not kind either giving it a 42% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Adding insult to injury the son of "Snow White" producer Marc Platt Jonah Platt publicly criticized Rachel Zegler. He accused her of hurting the film with her social media comments and called her actions "immature" and "narcissistic". He defended his dad who reportedly flew to New York to talk to Zegler about her "Free Palestine" post. Jonah felt Zegler's personal politics had "hijacked the conversation" and risked the success of the movie and the jobs of many people working on it.
Was "Snow White" Doomed from the Start? A Perfect Storm of Controversy and Changing Tastes
Looking back it seems like "Snow White" faced an uphill battle from the very beginning. Casting choices plot changes social media debates geopolitical issues... it was a lot. Some box office analysts think "too much negative controversy surrounded this film for years". They suggest that potential ticket buyers might have just decided to wait for it to stream on Disney+ instead of going to theaters.
It is also worth noting that Disney's live-action remakes which used to be box office gold have been less reliable lately. Movies like "Dumbo" and "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" did not do great and "Peter Pan & Wendy" went straight to streaming. Maybe audiences are just getting tired of the remakes or maybe "Snow White" in particular just could not overcome all the drama surrounding it. Whatever the reason this fairytale remake ended up being more of a cautionary tale for Disney.
Key Controversies & Issues Surrounding Disney's Snow White Remake:
- Casting of Rachel Zegler: Race-based backlash against a Latina actress playing Snow White.
- Peter Dinklage's "Dwarfs" Criticism: Accusations of perpetuating stereotypes.
- CGI Dwarfs Debate: Mixed reactions to replacing live actors with CGI characters.
- Plot Changes & "Weird" Love Story Comments: Fan backlash to alterations from the original film.
- Geopolitical Social Media Posts: Controversy over Rachel Zegler's "Free Palestine" comment and its impact.
- Rumored Feud: Speculation of tension between Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot.
- Box Office Bomb: Significantly lower than expected opening weekend gross.
- Producer's Son's Criticism: Publicly blaming Rachel Zegler for the film's failure.