Snow White remake star Rachel Zegler has triggered another storm of controversy while promoting the long-delayed Disney film.
The 23-year-old, who has repeatedly sparked anger with her woke views, waded into the Israel-Palestine conflict on X while promoting the blockbuster movie, despite branding experts warning that such antics could trigger a boycott.
The New Jersey native took to X on August 12 – two days after posting the trailer – to reply to her own post by saying: ‘And always remember, free Palestine.’
The teaser trailer shows Zegler as the titular princess, the controversial CGI Seven Dwarfs, and Israeli actress Gal Gadot, 39, as the iconic Evil Queen.
Some Israeli publications have taken exception to Zegler’s comment and suggested she’s insulted Gadot, although there is no suggestion of any tension between the two leading ladies.
Disney has tried to move away from hot button issues after finding itself mired in a series of woke controversies blamed for tanking its share price.
Zegler herself appeared to have quietened down after angering moviegoers by declaring that she ‘hated’ the original 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
She branded the storyline ‘weird,’ while referring to the Prince character as a ‘stalker’ and suggested she’d ensured the remake would ensure any fairytale smooching was consensual.
Snow White remake star Rachel Zegler, 23, took to X two days after sharing a trailer sneak peak of the film and shared her political views even after facing backlash for past comments
The $330million Disney movie, directed by Marc Webb, was scheduled to be released in March 2024, but got delayed after executives had to have ‘crisis talks’ in order to do some serious damage limitation following the negative response to Zegler’s stances.
A cast of diverse dwarves have also since been replaced by CGI alternatives which more closely-resemble the little people featured in the original movie.
The actress- who has vowed to ensure the remake was more progressive than the original version- previously faced backlash after several videos of her speaking negatively about the original film in various interviews in 2022 resurfaced online.
Speaking of her character, Zegler said: ‘She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.’
As well as being labeled a ‘fake feminist,’ some critics accused her of ‘gaslighting,’ while a marketing consultant warned that Disney would ‘need to be careful with how they have portrayed Snow White.’
Speaking to DailyMail.com, branding expert Carla Speight said: ‘Whilst it’s been clear that the original Disney Princess films hold old values, Disney have fallen for the trap of going to the opposite extreme to inflict strong and loaded messaging on the viewers – believing that’s empowerment.
The teaser trailer shows Zegler (left) as the titular princess, the controversial CGI Seven Dwarfs , and Israeli actress Gal Gadot, 39, (right) as the iconic Evil Queen
The $330million Disney movie was scheduled to be released in March 2024, but it got delayed after executives had to have ‘crisis talks’ in order to do some serious damage limitation following the negative response to Zegler’s stances. (pictured: Zegler at D23 on August 9)
‘There was a time when Disney actors were media trained and were thoughtful about the impact of their words, whilst sticking to key messaging about the films, but it seems with this total rewrite of Snow White, picturing her as a ‘boss girl’ has gone to the heads of their stars.
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‘Disney will need to be careful with how they have portrayed Snow White and what they do and don’t allow their actors to say about it going forwards.
‘They simply cannot repeat the same mistakes and allow their actors to be so vocal in their own personal opinions during promotions,’ Speight added.
PR expert Nick Ede agreed with Speight and told DailyMail.com that instead of ’embracing her role’ as one of the most famed fairytale characters,’ Zegler ‘has actively chosen to spoil the narrative.’
Speaking at the Disney D23 Expo in California in September 2022, Zegler – best known for her breakout role in ‘West Side Story’ said: ‘The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so.
‘There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird! So we didn’t do that this time.
Although Disney has tried to move away from hot button issues, Zegler continues to add fuel to the fire after previously admitting that she ‘hated’ the original 1937 movie and branded the storyline ‘weird,’ while referring to the Prince character as a ‘stalker’
‘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 continued, referring to Andrew Burnap, who plays Jonathan- Zegler’s love interest in the film.
‘All of Andrew’s scenes could get cut, who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby!’ she joked, before admitting in a separate interview that she was ‘terrified’ when she went on the beloved Snow White ride at Disney World.
About the 1937 film, she said: ‘I was scared of the original version. I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I’m being so serious.’
‘I watched it once, and then I went on the ride in Disney World, which was called Snow White’s Scary Adventures. Doesn’t sound like something a little kid would like. I was terrified of it, never revisited Snow White again,’ she added in an interview beside Gadot.
In a subsequent interview with Late Night host Jimmy Fallon, Zegler claimed to frequently find herself in line for the Disney ride she allegedly so despises.
In yet another high-profile interview about the film, Zegler defended the film’s newly forced progressive bent: ‘People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White … yeah, it is – because it needed that.
About the 1937 film, she said: ‘I was scared of the original version. I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I’m being so serious’
The 1937 version of Snow White was the first full-length traditionally animated feature film, and Disney’s first animated feature
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‘Our version is a refreshing story about a young woman who has a function beyond Someday My Prince Will Come.’
The Colombian-American actress faced some degree of scrutiny by critics after she was cast as Snow White, who has always been described as having ‘skin as white as snow.’
In a since-deleted tweet, she wrote: ‘Yes I am Snow White; no, I am not bleaching my skin for the role.’
Other than Zegler’s contentious statements, the seven dwarfs caused their own backlash in the remake.
The film received negative attention after it was revealed by DailyMail.com that the dwarfs were to be replaced by seven ‘magical (non-dwarf) creatures’ in an effort to keep the storytelling in line with the 21st Century’s commitment to political correctness.
The film received negative attention after it was revealed by DailyMail.com that the dwarfs were to be replaced by seven ‘magical (non-dwarf) creatures.’ In the trailer, the dwarfs are seen as CGI characters (pictured)
They were originally seen on the set of the movie and included a mix of men and women of different ethnicities, with a real dwarf among their number. At first Disney denied these pictures were from the set of the movie – but eventually backtracked.
In the trailer, the real-life dwarfs were replaced by CGI characters, dancing and singing along with Zegler.
Disney’s 1937 version of the film follows Snow White as she befriends the seven dwarfs while hiding from her wicked stepmother who later poisons her with an apple before Prince Charming wakes her from her slumber with a kiss. The plot is loosely based on the 1812 fairytale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm.
At the time of its release, it became a massive hit for Disney, earning hundreds of millions of dollars across the globe. It was also the first full-length traditionally animated feature film, and Disney’s first animated feature.
The new adaptation of Snow White is set to be released in March 2025.