Disney’s Snow White cancels grand premiere plans, Rachel Zegler starrer to be low-key

Disney's highly awaited live action film Snow White is going for a low-profile screening as it nears its release date. The project is one of the most highly awaited live action films by the studio. The original animated film was the first one put out by Disney in 1937.

All set to take place on March 15, the premiere for Snow White will be a modest one, as opposed to Disney's usual grand premieres that have been held over the years for all the major live action movies. The event will have a pre-party and a screening at El Capitan Theatre that will be attended by Rachel Zegler, who plays Snow White, and Gal Gadot, who plays the antagonist, Evil Queen. Media outlets will be limited on site with only a few photographers and a house crew having access.

The decision does not come as a surprise, considering the backlash the film has been getting recently. The studio has been criticized over Rachel Zegler's casting, using CGI to portray the seven dwarves, and Zegler's comments on the film's premise, which led to the actress being the center of severe criticism.

Snow White was the first official Disney Princess from the studio, starting the legacy of Disney Princesses at Disney, and has long been an anticipated live action project. Zegler's criticism of the character further exacerbated the controversy as the film continues to get attacked on social media for everything surrounding it.

Explaining Snow White's controversy

Initial criticism of the film centered on Rachel Zegler's casting as many pointed out her ethnicity not aligning with the princess' description of being 'white as snow'. Many pointed out Disney's attempts at inclusivity as being a mismatched factor in bringing the animated film to life.

Later on, Zegler talked about what the new film will be about as she spoke on the red carpet for the D23 Expo in 2022 and 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. 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, Andrew Burnap, great dude. [...] But it's really not about her love story at all, which is really, really wonderful. [...] All of Andrew’s scenes could get cut, who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby!"

More outbursts followed as fans spoke up about Disney's decision to use CGI for the seven dwarves instead of real actors. An outburst that was shared by actor Peter Dinklage, who pointed out the studio's inability to attend to inclusiveness of all kinds.

Initial reviews for Snow White are awaited for now. The film is all set to release on March 21, 2025.