Disney’s Snow White Director Furious With Rachel Zegler After Controversial Comments

Disney’s Snow White is scheduled to release in 2024, and things are off to a rough start. Lead actress Rachel Zegler, who will play the title character, recently came under fire for her remarks regarding the original film. The film has been riddled with controversy since it was announced that Disney will release a live-action adaptation. All this negative press, however, is starting to take its toll. Recent reports have revealed that executives are unhappy with the negative press this project is generating.

Reports reveal that the film Director is furious as Snow White is labeled a production hell. Disney already has a bad reputation when it comes to live-action adaptations; however, thus far, Snow White has caused the most controversy. The last thing producers need right now is actors speaking poorly about the IP. It is no secret that Disney has been struggling at the box office lately. While they still make billions yearly, they are no longer the gold standard they once were. There is a lot of expectation riding on Snow White as pressure mounts for the company.

Disney, however, is a lightning rod for controversy. In many ways, one has to wonder how much of these things they do intentionally. Often, it feels like they are purposefully going out of their way to upset fans. Whether it is Marvel, Lucas Films, or Disney studios, they always find a way to mess with a classic IP. All these recent remakes prove that there is a directional shift at the studio, and only some are aboard. Those resisting the most are the fans.

Disney’s Snow White Is Part Of The Problem

As stated, reports are making the rounds claiming that the Director of Snow White is furious with Rachel Zegler due to her comments. All the drama started when Zegler stated that she found the original film weird and labeled Prince Charming a creepy weirdo stalker. While she is entitled to her opinions, many wondered why she would accept the role if this is how she truly felt about the IP. Most people understand this film is about much more than just how Zegler described it.

There is a reason why Snow White is regarded as a classic tale. It touches on jealousy, trust, and unlikely friendships. The whole plot of the seven dwarfs accepting Snow White into their home and the unlikely friendship that they form is what many fans are drawn to. Prince Charming breaking the spell cast on Snow White is one of the most iconic moments in Disney history. Fans do not like this story being reframed in a negative light. If you find the story problematic, you can move on and tell a different story.

Instead, Disney is recreating the story and is more than willing to make profits from it. You slam the story and the characters as creepy and problematic, but you are also first in line to benefit from the audience that the original IP built up. This has become a widespread practice within Hollywood. If you find something problematic, leave it alone, tell your story, and create unproblematic characters. However, it is easier to take an existing IP with an extensive fan base and change everything. There are, however, two sides to every story.

The Director vs. Disney’s Snow White

While plenty of reports suggest that the Director of this film is upset with Rachel Zegler, I find this hard to believe. The Directors and Writers that Disney hires for these projects likely think the same way as the lead actress. It is likely that they also feel the original project was not great. By simply looking at the seven dwarfs, I can already tell what the executives think. The Director for this film has a clear vision of what they believe Snow White should look like.

They are on record stating that they did not want to cast little people for the roles of the dwarfs as they thought it would be problematic. It is hard to believe that these same people will turn around and be upset with Rachel Zegler and the statements that she made. There is a high possibility that Zegler heard those statements from the showrunners. However, it should be noted that tensions are currently high in Hollywood. Everyone, including Rachel Zegler, is presently striking. This has caused massive delays with many projects.

Snow White is one of the projects currently experiencing delays. It is reported that the film will fail to meet its March 2024 deadline. The news of a delay and negative press could frustrate certain executives. If the Director is unhappy, it likely has little to do with comments made by the actress. Instead, they will be upset that everyone on set is not present to conclude the project. There is currently no end to this strike as both sides are waiting each other out.

In Defence of Snow White

While plenty of people are upset with this film, there are also vocal supporters. Many believe that old Disney classics should be updated for a modern audience. Some think that the old Disney does not accurately reflect diversity. Thus, changing these classic IPs allows a new audience to connect with these characters. The only issue with this thinking is that these updated characters are nothing like their older counterparts. Creating new characters that reflect the values they want to display would make more sense.

Unfortunately, Disney does not want to take this risk, and more money will be made on name recondition. Disney is faced with two options. You can create a new gay character that is strong, brave, and a space explorer. Alternatively, you can turn Buzz Lightyear gay. Disney chooses the second option because there is already a built-in audience. They can tell the story of a brave young girl on a quest through a magical land, fighting an evil queen with her trusted companions. Alternatively, you can tell this story but call it Snow White.

Disney will always choose to go with the classics as there is a lower risk that it will fail. There are enough people in support of this for the studio to feel comfortable with this decision. Those who want IPs to stay true to the original are in the minority. They might be vocal online, but that is where it stops. Most of the Disney remakes make billions at the box office. While Snow White might fall short of that, they likely will still make a big profit.

Conclusion

It is hard to establish how much backlash for this film exists. Online, it is clear that people are unhappy with the direction of Snow White and the comments made by Rachel Zegler. However, only time will tell if this backlash will translate into poor ticket sales. The box office overall is down. While there are some successes to point towards, many studios are suffering. This is due to a multitude of reasons. Ultimately, only time will tell how this will play out. I have long since moved past my Disney days. Thus, I will leave it to the new generation to decide what their Disney princesses look like.