Movies

Disney Has ‘Zero Faith’ in $270m ‘Woke’ Snow White

BBG News

According to sources, Disney appears to be quite skeptical about the upcoming live-action adaptation of Snow White, featuring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, as it carries a more modern and progressive (often referred to as ‘woke’) approach.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m excited about the upcoming release next week of the $270 million remake of the 1937 classic. However, this project has been surrounded by several debates and controversies. For instance, the traditional ‘romance plot’, often criticized for its sexist undertones, has been replaced in this new version. Furthermore, instead of portraying the Seven Dwarfs as a group of male characters, they are being reimagined as a diverse ensemble of magical creatures, encompassing various heights, genders, and races. This shift aims to create a more inclusive and modern interpretation of the beloved tale.

Instead of having a glitzy, celebrity-filled premiere like other popular Disney films, as was initially expected, there are reports that the producers of this movie want to wrap up promotions quickly for the contentious film, expressing doubts about its success, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It was found out later that tickets for Snow White couldn’t be purchased ahead of time until Monday, which was just about two weeks before the movie premiered.

In contrast to numerous Disney’s live-action adaptations like last year’s holiday hit, Mufasa: The Lion King, and upcoming release, The Little Mermaid in 2023, these films made tickets accessible for presale a month prior to their premieres.

The exhibition organizers, reportedly speaking to the publication leaders, seemed unenthusiastic about the film, commenting: ‘An extremely short advance sales period of barely two weeks strongly suggests, “We have no confidence in this project.” It’s particularly unfortunate timing, as the industry is struggling to survive until May.’

Disney representatives have countered by stating that their strategy was to delay the main marketing campaign for the movie until the last couple of weeks, starting when Zegler and Gadot made a joint appearance at the Oscars on March 2nd.

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Disney for comment. 

The movie is projected to earn anywhere from $50 million to $56 million during its debut weekend, comparable to the 2015 version of Cinderella, which launched with a whopping $67 million.

In May 2023, the box office earnings for The Little Mermaid, which had a production cost of $240 million, amounted to $100 million during its initial weekend.

It has been announced that the grand opening of Snow White in Hollywood will have reduced festivities due to criticism towards its progressive elements and cast.

As a devoted follower, I’ve learned that Disney won’t be rolling out the red carpet for this film quite like they do with their other comparable productions.

On March 15, it is anticipated that Zegler, aged 23, and Gadot, aged 39, will attend a pre-event gathering and screening at Los Angeles’ El Capitan Theatre. However, only photographers and a maintenance team will be granted coverage.

Instead of following traditional practices by inviting numerous media outlets for coverage and interviews during premieres, the studio is choosing to go against the norm in this particular instance.

The decision was made under scrutiny and apprehension, as some critics argue that the revised version focused more on contemporary social messages rather than maintaining the original narrative’s integrity.

According to The Daily Mail, the decision has been made not to host a glamorous UK premiere for the film due to concerns about potential criticism or controversy related to promoting a “woke” agenda.

Typically, a grand spectacle at Leicester Square, filled with lights and cameras, would mark the £212million live action remake of the 1937 cartoon film. However, due to efforts to avoid potential backlash, there won’t be any celebrations happening on British soil. Instead, only a limited number of controlled press events will take place.

A source informed The Mail that Disney is preparing for potential backlash against Snow White being perceived as ‘woke’ and has scaled down their publicity, limiting it to only a few strategic and closely managed press engagements.

Instead of hosting a traditional London premiere for the movie, they’ve chosen an uncommon approach, opting to limit public appearances for Rachel Zegler and reducing the number of press interviews she will attend.

Ever since Disney chose Latina actress Zegler for the role of Snow White, some Disney enthusiasts have pointed out the more progressive departures from the traditional fairy tale that this casting represents.

Previously this month, a source shared with Daily Mail that Disney expects a backlash against their upcoming film, Snow White, due to its “woke” elements. As a result, they’ve scaled down the media coverage, limiting it to only a few carefully managed press events.

The source disclosed that, given the circumstances, it’s been decided not to hold a London premiere for the movie and to limit the number of questions directed towards Rachel Zegler from the media.

Zegler similarly pointed out that David Hand’s 1937 animation appears very outdated regarding portrayals of powerful women and women’s roles in society.

‘The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so,’ she scoffed to Extra TV in 2022. 

In the new version, there’s a strong emphasis on her romantic tale involving a man who appears to be following her closely. That’s quite unusual, isn’t it? This time around, though, we chose to steer clear of such a scenario.

In our film, though it may initially appear as such due to casting a male lead, our narrative takes a unique direction that deviates significantly from the typical love story trope.

As I ponder over potential changes in my upcoming project, I couldn’t help but chuckle and say, “Who knows what might happen? It’s just like Hollywood!” However, during a different conversation, I confessed that I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs when I hopped on the cherished Snow White ride at Disney World.

Concerning the 1937 movie, she expressed her fear towards the original adaptation. She admitted to having watched it only once and not returning to it since then, emphasizing her sincerity.

Zegler additionally shared with Variety that instead of yearning for true love, her portrayal of Snow White will be aspiring to be a valiant leader.

In an explanation given to Cosmopolitan, the Golden Globe winner shared that there’s a well-known moment in Snow White where she falls into a lake, which was similar to a trapdoor located within a forest. To accurately portray this underwater scene, I received scuba diving training.

During my experience, I was constantly accompanied by an ex-Navy individual named Pete, who was always attached to me. In essence, I underwent around 48 hours of training with him. After that, we filmed for two consecutive days. The underwater part lasted approximately seven hours.

Previously, it was reported by DailyMail.com that Haley Zegler’s image as an unpredictable personality came close to costing her the role of Snow White.

Zegler’s strong opinions have prompted some haters to vow to boycott the film. 

Ever since she clinched the coveted role of María Vasquez in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of West Side Story after a fierce competition against thousands of other actresses, she has faced constant scrutiny and critique.

Criticism arose concerning her selection to play Snow White in Disney’s 2025 live-action adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as online harassment due to her progressive political views.

Regarding remarks about her being cast as Snow White on social media, Zegler firmly stated that she can’t fathom why some adults from Disney might object to a Latina actress embodying the cherished princess role.

Zegler explained that the phrase portraying her character’s skin as ‘as white as snow’ is a nod to another rendition of Snow White from history, where her character ‘lived through a snowstorm that happened when she was an infant.’

In a remark made by the original speaker, it was stated that the monarch and monarch consort chose to name her Snow White as a symbol of her resilience. A key message in the movie, applicable to all young women and individuals, is the reminder of their inherent strength.

Additionally, the star confessed that it was disheartening to observe numerous individuals criticizing her harshly after she hinted that her portrayal of Snow White might not be rescued by a prince.

As an ardent admirer, I must confess it saddened me deeply to see such a misinterpretation, for I firmly hold the conviction that women possess the boundless capacity to accomplish anything. Yet, in my heart of hearts, I also believe they can achieve everything. It’s disheartening when conversations get twisted or humor falls flat.

In further discussion, Zegler emphasized that the ‘romantic tale plays a crucial role,’ debunking rumors that her adaptation would be devoid of any romantic elements.

She stated, “I’ve seen women being criticized and undermined throughout my entire existence, my entire career. This trend is likely to continue in the upcoming election. Unfortunately, it seems this will persist for a while. At times, it appears as though we are taking steps backward; it definitely felt that way during those instances.

Occasionally, she feels inclined to abandon social media, but she admitted that she doesn’t want to grant trolls the pleasure of realizing they’ve hurt her in the instant.

‘You give them a lot of power by taking a social media break,’ she pointed out.

Over the years, she has used her platforms to champion causes that are important to her.

During the SAG-AFTRA labor dispute in 2023, she voiced concerns over potential risks associated with AI, reminiscing about approximately 465 images capturing various angles of her body that were used for computer-generated stunts.

It felt downright terrifying, I must admit,” I confessed, “When they created that artificial intelligence duplicate of me, based on the scan they took when I was 18. The thought of never being able to set foot on a movie set again was chilling. What if they used that replica for my entire career? It was a daunting prospect.

She’s also advocated for Palestinians.

She expressed to the news source, “I can’t bear to witness children dying.” She added, “It shouldn’t be controversial… We’ve almost reached a year since the tragic events in Israel on October 7, but I’ve been closely monitoring this conflict for many years. Like countless others, my heart is heavily burdened by the devastating loss of life we’re witnessing with these alarmingly high death tolls from both sides.

Still, she acknowledges that she doesn’t ‘have the answers.’

She expressed that celebrities voicing political opinions might not have all the solutions, but we possess the ability to spread a link for charitable donations to help those who are struggling and aren’t receiving adequate support from those in power. If this means taking on responsibility and making a positive impact, she is more than willing to do so.

In the past, Disney faced criticism when they revealed plans to use magical creatures instead of the traditional seven dwarves in a new production, as this change aimed to prevent perpetuating stereotypes. Last year, Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage publicly expressed his disapproval, referring to the decision as a “regressive narrative.

He expressed surprise when Disney boasted about casting a Latina actress as Snow White, yet they are still telling the classic tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as he shared during an interview on Mark Maron’s WTF podcast.

I find it hard to understand your approach. On one hand, you seem to be forward-thinking, but on the other, you continue to perpetuate an old tale about seven dwarfs living in a cave. It seems contradictory, and I’m wondering if there might be more we can do to modernize it. Perhaps I haven’t been vocal enough in advocating for change from my platform.

Charities such as the UK’s Restricted Growth Association echoed Dinklage’s worries.

Rhonda Cutmore, from our association, expressed her strong agreement with Peter Dinklage’s feelings of dismay and annoyance over Disney’s reimagining of Snow White, as she shared with The Telegraph.

Steph Robson, a writer with dwarfism, expressed her hope that filmmakers would strive to avoid perpetuating stereotypes when reimagining the well-known film.

She expressed her hope that the recent live-action adaptation by Disney would, in some measure, address the longstanding issue of one-dimensional stereotypes about disabilities, particularly prevalent in art and culture, as she shared with the media outlet.

The narrative has faced criticism for its depiction of dwarfs as less intelligent, and for Snow White viewing them as though they were children, which some viewers consider to be discriminatory towards people with disabilities.

Disney is planning a new strategy regarding Snow White’s seven friends, following criticism from actor Peter (from Game of Thrones) who criticized the studio for re-creating a movie he felt was outdated and perpetuated harmful stereotypes.

Last year, the company mentioned that they were engaging with individuals from the dwarfism community during the initial phases of product development.

In order to ensure our interpretation doesn’t perpetuate stereotypes seen in the initial animated movie, we’re adopting a unique method for these seven characters. We’ve been collaborating closely with individuals from the dwarfism community for guidance,” the representative explained.

Excitedly, we can’t wait to reveal more updates as the movie moves into its production phase following a prolonged development process.

Last December, sources from the production revealed that contrary to expectations, the seven characters traditionally known as “Snow White’s dwarfs” would not be entirely computer-generated, and they would not represent dwarfs in the usual sense.

Instead, she would be befriended by magical, forest-dwelling creatures.

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2025-03-12 23:21

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