Rachel Zegler Addresses Backlash to "Snow White" Casting

Disney’s Snow White is headed to the big screen for a live-action remake. Based on the 1938 cartoon Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the classic fairytale is set to hit theaters in a modern, more contemporary retelling as Disney continues to diversify its Princess characters.

However, conversations surrounding the film’s plot have emerged, causing Disney to open up about the steps it’s taken to prevent reinforcing stereotypes in the upcoming movie. The film isn’t expected to hit theaters until 2024, but we’re breaking down all the details that have emerged so far. Here’s everything we know about Snow White.

Who is in the Snow White remake?

After a breakout success in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, actress Rachel Zegler has been cast as Snow White.

In a statement to Deadline, director Marc Webb dished on Rachel’s addition to the film: “Rachel’s extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts,” he said. “Her strength, intelligence, and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale.”

Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot also joins the upcoming remake as the Evil Queen. “I'm so excited,” the actress said in a statement to Variety. “The take on this story is so different and delightful and full of joy… I’m very, very excited. I wish I could share more.”

Has the cast commented on their roles?

In June 2021, Rachel Zegler came under social media scrutiny after she was officially cast as Snow White. During an interview for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, the West Side Story star opened up about the online controversy to Andrew Garfield.

“Never in a million years did I imagine that this would be a possibility for me,” she began. “You don’t normally see Snow Whites that are of Latin descent. Even though Snow White is really a big deal in Spanish-speaking countries. Blanca Nieves is a huge icon whether you’re talking about the Disney cartoon or just different iterations and the Grimm fairy tale and all the stories that come with it. But you don’t particularly see people who look like me or are me playing roles like that.”

Addressing social media users who were upset that a Latinx actress would be leading the iconic film, Rachel said, “When it was announced, it was a huge thing that was trending on Twitter for days because all of the people were angry.”

“We need to love them in the right direction,” Rachel offered. “At the end of the day, I have a job to do that I’m really excited to do. I get to be a Latina princess.”

On July 14, 2023, Daily Mail released what is believed to be the first photos from the Snow White set, which spurred hate from online trolls once again. In response, Rachel wrote on Twitter, “extremely appreciative of the love i feel from those defending me online, but please don’t tag me in the nonsensical discourse about my casting. i really, truly do not want to see it.”

When will Snow White be released?

An official release date has yet to be confirmed, but IMDb reports that Snow White is expected to hit theaters on March 22, 2024. It’s currently in pre-production.

What is the controversy surrounding Snow White about?

In January 2022, Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Dinklage criticized the upcoming film for telling a “backward story.” During an appearance on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, he said, “They [Disney] were very proud to cast a Latino actress as Snow White, but you’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’”

Peter, who was born with a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, continued, “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*****g backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together? What the f**k are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough.”

Following Peter’s statement, Disney issued a response via The Hollywood Reporter: “To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community. We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.”

Disney has previously used cultural consultants in live-action remakes of Aladdin and Mulan.

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