Topline
Disney’s live-action remake of the classic film “Snow White,” which has largely been overshadowed by various controversies as the film became a culture war target, opens in theaters this weekend to generally poor critical reviews and a middling box office outlook.
“Snow White” actresses Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot presenting at the Oscars. (Photo by Frank … More
Key Facts
“Snow White,” starring Rachel Zegler as the titular Disney princess and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, opens in theaters Friday, though preview screenings begin Thursday afternoon.
The film is expected to top the box office this weekend, with multiple outlets, including Variety and Deadline, projecting a domestic box office gross between $45 million and $55 million—though this lags behind other Disney live-action remakes, including “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid.”
“Snow White” has one of the worst Rotten Tomatoes scores for a Disney live-action remake, earning just a 47% critics score from 101 reviews.
Disney, which typically hosts large red carpet events for film premieres, hosted a scaled-back “Snow White” premiere last week with few photographers and interviewers that were employed by Disney, Variety reported, sparking speculation the smaller premiere was hosted in response to the film’s various controversies as a culture war target.
Chief Critics
Many reviewers criticized the film for being visually unimpressive and failing to live up to the animated original. In a one-star review, Toronto Star critic Adam Nayman said “spending $250 million to make a film in which absolutely nothing works is a kind of dark art in and of itself,” slamming Gadot’s performance as a “disaster” for lacking “self-awareness” or “campy pleasure.” The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw called the film “exhaustingly awful” in a one-star review, stating both lead actors give the “dullest performances of their lives” while slamming the movie’s “pseudo-progressive” approach to portraying the seven dwarves as CGI-animated figures. Rolling Stone critic David Fear also criticized Disney’s “cringeworthy” approach to modifying the seven dwarves, which Fear says are referred to as “magical creatures” in the movie, stating the film “pats itself on the back for being so performatively progressive.”
Contra
Some reviewers said “Snow White” is one of Disney’s better live-action remakes. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman praised both Zegler and Gadot, while stating the CGI dwarves “bring the movie to life.” The Hollywood Reporter critic David Rooney said the film lands on the “upper end of the spectrum” of Disney’s live-action remakes, praising the actors’ performances and the visual effects team for creating an “enchanting story-book world.”
How Has The Diverse Casting Of “snow White” Sparked Controversy?
Zegler, a Latina actress, portrays the titular Disney princess, a decision that roiled some critics because the source material, the Brothers Grimm fairytale “Snow White,” describes the protagonist as having “skin as white as snow.” Zegler defended her casting in a 2022 interview, stating “Snow White” is popular in Spanish-speaking countries and she was proud to be cast to represent her heritage: “I get to be a Latina princess.” Zegler told Variety in 2024 the character’s name will be explained by the title character surviving a snowstorm as a child.
How Has The Movie’s Portrayal Of The Seven Dwarves Drawn Controversy?
Peter Dinklage, the Emmy-winning actor best known for “Game of Thrones” who also has dwarfism, slammed Disney in 2022 for remaking “Snow White” because of the seven dwarves characters. Dinklage said he was surprised Disney was so proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, while “you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me. You’re progressive in one way, but then you’re still making that f—ing backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together?” Disney responded to Dinklage’s concerns, stating it is consulting with the dwarfism community to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film.” In 2023, footage from the production that depicted the seven dwarves, which Disney confirmed was authentic, surfaced, depicting just one actor with dwarfism while the other six were actors of different races. The casting received criticism from right-wing critics, including Megyn Kelly, who said the film was “racialized to check every box they can, except for all the dwarf boxes because they’re offensive.” The casting also sparked some criticism among the dwarfism community, including from actor Jason Acuña, who said the new approach took away potential jobs for actors with dwarfism.
How Has The Feminist “snow White” Update Drawn Controversy?
Zegler sparked controversy in 2023 when she suggested the “Snow White” remake would be more feminist than the original film, which was released in 1937. “It’s no longer 1937 . . . 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,” Zegler said in an interview. Her comments sparked blowback from conservative critics, including Ben Shapiro, who slammed Zegler for trying to make the film a “girl boss” story. Zegler responded to backlash in an interview with Variety in October, clarifying the film’s “love story is very integral” and stating she felt sad her comments were interpreted as critical of the original film because she believes the Snow White character can want both love and independence.
How Have The “snow White” Stars’ Political Views Sparked Controversy?
Zegler sparked conservative backlash after the 2024 election when she posted a series of Instagram stories criticizing President Donald Trump and his supporters. “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself may never know peace,” she said, calling his election victory an indication of a “deep sickness in this country.” “F— Donald Trump,” Zegler added. Zegler later apologized following criticism from conservatives, acknowledging “hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding.” Gadot and Zegler have also sparked some controversy because of their apparently opposite views on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Gadot is Israeli, served two years in the Israel Defense Forces and has been publicly vocal in support of Israel, particularly since the Oct. 7 attacks. Zegler has said on X she has been “public with a pro-Palestine stance since 2021.” The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel has urged people to boycott “Snow White” over Gadot’s pro-Israel stance, while Ofir Akunis, Israel’s consul general in New York, accused Zegler of having little knowledge of the Middle East, adding: “Shame on her.”
What To Watch For
Whether “Snow White” will succeed at the box office. The Hollywood Reporter projected last month “Snow White” would gross about $53 million in its opening weekend, which would be the second-biggest opening weekend this year so far, behind “Captain America: Brave New World.”
Tangent
“Snow White” arrives only one month after Disney’s latest film sparked some similar anti-“woke” backlash. “Captain America: Brave New World” stirred controversy when Anthony Mackie, a Black actor who portrayed Captain America, said: “For me, Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations.” His remarks sparked instant blowback from conservatives, who interpreted it as anti-American, prompting Mackie to clarify he is a “proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like [Captain America] is the honor of a lifetime.” The film also sparked some controversy over its inclusion of an Israeli superhero, portrayed by Israeli actress Shira Haas. The character is a member of Israel’s intelligence agency in the Marvel comics, but is portrayed as a U.S. government official in the film, sparking criticism from some Israelis who felt the character’s heritage was diminished. But pro-Palestinian protests have also criticized the film for including the character at all, while the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement called for a boycott of the film.
Further Reading
Disney Scales Back ‘Snow White’ Hollywood Premiere Amid Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot Controversies (Variety)
‘Captain America’ Becomes One Of Marvel’s Worst-Reviewed Films Amid Protests From Progressives And Conservatives (Forbes)
