Disney’s Live-Action Adaptation of Snow White Faces Controversy
Walt Disney’s live-action adaptation of the iconic 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is set to premiere in theaters this Friday, amid a series of controversies that have drawn the company into the ongoing culture wars, a situation CEO Bob Iger has been attempting to mitigate.
Rachel Zegler, who portrays Snow White, has encountered significant online backlash, with some critics claiming her Colombian background is inappropriate for the role. She also faced criticism for describing the original movie as outdated and for posting about former US President Donald Trump and his supporters, which fueled adversaries of “woke” Disney.
The situation is further complicated by the opposing views of Zegler and Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict, adding an underlying tension to the film’s release.
These controversies seem to have negatively impacted the projected box office performance of Snow White, which reportedly had a production budget of $270 million. “[Early projections for the opening weekend were significantly higher, but they have now decreased to around $45 million to $50 million in the US and potentially $100 million globally for its debut](https://www.ft.com/stream/725b01e3-d084-43ce-8fde-e1569668ad2a),” stated Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore.
After returning from a brief hiatus in 2022, Iger has aimed to reduce Disney’s political risks, particularly following a conflict with Florida’s governor involving LGBTQI+ issues. He has advised filmmakers to minimize social messaging in their projects. Nevertheless, the adaptation of the Brothers Grimm tale has revived debates that date back nearly a decade.
In response to the controversies, Disney has implemented restrictions on media access to the film’s stars during its Hollywood premiere and opted for a less prominent location in northern Spain for the film’s European release, rather than a high-profile site like Leicester Square in London.
Despite efforts to generate excitement by promoting the film at D23, which caters to dedicated Disney fans, Zegler even traveled to Tokyo, where the audience generally shows less concern for “woke” politics. A Disney executive expressed, “We can’t fight the culture wars. Everyone criticizing this movie was never going to watch it. Disney isn’t aiming to change perspectives.”
