Five controversies that rocked Disney's 'Snow White' remake before its release
Disney’s live-action remake of its 1937 animated classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" endured a rocky production period in the lead-up to its theatrical premiere this weekend.
Since it began production in 2022, the film has made headlines for multiple controversies, including a year-long delay, a debate over whether its depictions of title characters are politically correct, and an outspoken lead actress who prompted backlash with her public derision of the original Disney film and Trump-voting Americans.
Here are five major controversies that plagued Disney’s live-action "Snow White" before its release on Friday, when it opened to middling reviews – one New York Times critic said, "its mediocrity is among its biggest bummers."
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More than three years prior to the film’s release, one A-list actor with dwarfism prompted Walt Disney Studios to commit to reworking its depiction of the classic "seven dwarfs" character.
"Game of Thrones" actor Peter Dinklage called out the studio for even considering taking a stab at portraying magical dwarfs in the modern era.
Speaking on comedian Marc Maron’s podcast in 2022, Dinklage stated, "You’re progressive in one way, but then you’re still making that f-----g backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together. What the f--- are you doing, man?"
Following Dinklage’s complaint, Disney announced that it would take a "different approach" in its depiction of the seven dwarfs. A statement put out by the studio in January 2022 said, "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."
Disney would ultimately use CGI dwarfs to portray Snow White's seven friends in the final product.
Lead actress Rachel Zegler has courted social media backlash on a variety of occasions since the start of the film’s production, first taking heat for her comments deriding the themes of the classic 1937 version of "Snow White."
During Disney’s D23 expo in 2022, the actress told the media, "I mean, you know, 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."
Since then, Zegler has dismissed her online critics, suggesting that their response is an over-the-top reaction to her "outspokenness" and being "fearless" with her opinions.
Relatedly, the 2025 film does not feature Snow White singing dreamily about her true love, but she does belt out lyrics about becoming the leader she knows she can be. And while there is not a prince featured in the live action release, her male love interest does save her life on two separate occasions.
Following Disney’s controversy over its dwarf depiction, as well as backlash over Zegler deriding the original, the studio announced in late 2023 it would be delaying the release date for "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs" by a full year. The film was originally set to release in March 2024.
In light of the film’s rocky production up until that point, Disney’s critics on social media speculated that the studio needed a year's delay to sanitize the film’s supposed progressive themes and to change the final look of the dwarfs after their alleged diverse depiction was mocked online.
Industry outlet "The Hollywood Reporter" provided an alternative theory, suggesting the delay happened due to the SAG-AFTRA strike happening that year. It noted, "Get ready for the dominoes to start falling in earnest as studios race to rearrange their 2024 theatrical release calendars amid the ongoing actors’ strike."
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In addition to causing controversy with her opinions on the old "Snow White" and how it should be updated for the modern era, Zegler stepped into more backlash by sharing her thoughts on the Middle East while promoting her new film.
In an August 2024 X post touting the official trailer for "Snow White," the actress wrote, "And always remember, free Palestine."
Some wondered if the political message was a subtle dig at film co-star Gal Gadot, who has defended her home country of Israel's military response to the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
Zegler generated even more anger when, in her frustration over the results of the 2024 presidential election, she lashed out at people who voted for Donald Trump.
"May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace," the progressive actress posted to Instagram after Trump’s victory, adding, "F--- Donald Trump."
After being met with swift pushback, Zegler apologized.
"I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week. I let my emotions get the best of me. Hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding, and I am sorry I contributed to the negative discourse," she wrote in a subsequent post.
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In a move that prompted onlookers to wonder if Disney was tacitly admitting concerns over how its film would be received, the studio scaled back the Hollywood premiere event for "Snow White" last weekend.
Variety reported last week that Disney would be scaling down the film’s red carpet premiere on March 15, making it a smaller event than Disney’s typical big-budget premieres.
The smaller red carpet event would reportedly not be attended by media outlets that usually attend premieres to speak to the film’s cast and crew. Though film stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot were set to attend a pre-party and screening at L.A.’s El Capitan Theatre on March 15, Variety reported that media coverage would only include photographers and a house crew.
Responding to the reports, actor Martin Klebba, who voices the character of "Grumpy" the dwarf, expressed disappointment about the scaled-down premiere.
"I’m not disappointed in Disney. I’m disappointed in the world," he said. "We’ve come to this place in society where people work really hard on this movie, where Marc [Webb], the director, is probably four years into putting this together, [along with] the producers and Disney, and just because a couple of people have views that not everybody feels the same way, now we’re having to alter the fun part of making a movie, which is premieres."
Conservative film critic Christian Toto, host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast, summed up the controversy-plagued development of the Disney film, telling Fox News Digital that it’s a "perfect storm of media mismanagement." The journalist, who runs his own website, "Hollywood In Toto," added that due to the numerous controversies, "the film's box office hopes have been blunted dramatically."
Toto said it’s not all doom and gloom in terms of "Snow White’s" box office earnings. "It may still make some cash," he said, adding, "The Disney brand remains vital in some quarters, and children's movies often linger in theaters for weeks. That allows appreciative parents to snag a few hours to themselves."
"Disney stepped on more than a few rakes along the way, though, hurting its overall box office potential," he concluded.
Fox News Digital reached out to Disney for comment.