Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which premiered in 1937, was Disney’s first major animated movie and a beloved classic, but the live-action remake starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot has lived under a cloud of controversy and rumors since it was announced nearly a decade ago — so much so that some might call it cursed.
But what’s really going on with Snow White? Where do we begin? There’s been plenty of drama regarding the film, from racist backlash about casting Zegler, a Latina actor, as Snow White to accusations of ableism regarding the dwarves to rumors of a feud between Zegler and Gadot, amidst the war on Gaza.
Many have placed blame on Zegler, but Snow White has been plagued by all kinds of challenges since its inception, from the writers' strike to a literal fire on the set, culminating in a disappointing first weekend at the box office. You name it, Snow White probably faced it in its journey from the initial script to the big screen.
Below, explore a complete timeline of the many controversies surrounding Disney’s live-action Snow White.
October 2016: Plans for a live-action Snow White remake are announced
The first official announcement of a Snow White update happened in 2016, when The Hollywood Reporter shared that the animated classic was due for a live-action remake, joining fellow Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. However, it would be several years before any real progress was made.
June 2021: Rachel Zegler is cast as Snow White
Zegler, an actor and singer who played Maria in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake, is cast as Snow White. Like Halle Bailey before her, Zegler is immediately subjected to racist backlash.
In 2022, Zegler reflected on the backlash. “When it got announced, it was a huge thing that was trending on Twitter for days because all of the people were angry,” the actor shared with Andrew Garfield in a Q&A for Variety. “I never, in a million years, imagined that that would be a possibility for me.… 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. But you don’t particularly see people who look like me or are me playing roles like that.”
November 2021: Gal Gadot is cast
Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot is cast as the Evil Queen.
January 2022: Peter Dinklage speaks out about the film
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage shared his thoughts on the remake, namely the inclusion of the seven dwarves, on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast. “There’s a lot of hypocrisy going on. Literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White. But you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the seven dwarfs,” he said. “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*cking backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f*ck are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soap box? I guess I’m not loud enough.”
Shortly thereafter, Disney shared a statement with The Hollywood Reporter, directly addressing Dinklage’s comments. “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,” it stated. “We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.”
Disney was later criticized for not casting actors with dwarfism and instead using CGI. (One voice actor, Martin Klebba — who plays Doc — has dwarfism.)
March 2022: Snow White begins filming
Not too long after, part of the set catches fire, but everyone is OK.
March 2022: Rachel Zegler says she “was not invited” to the Oscars
In early 2022, Zegler surprised fans by saying she wasn’t invited to the 2022 Oscars, despite West Side Story’s seven nominations, which included Best Picture. At the time, Zegler was in London filming Snow White. Fans were upset, and Zegler reportedly responded to a comment about the supposed snub, saying, “IDK y’all I have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening. I will root for West Side Story from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago. I hope some last-minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. Thanks for all the shock and outrage — I’m disappointed, too. But that’s OK. So proud of our movie.”
Not long after, Zegler confirmed she *would* be attending the Oscars — and presenting onstage too. “Well folks, I can't believe I’m saying this but... see you on Sunday!” she wrote on X. “The absolutely incredible team at @Disney and our Snow White producers worked some real-life magic, and I am thrilled to be able to celebrate my [West Side Story] fam at the Oscars.” (West Side Story was also distributed by Disney.)
September 2022: Rachel Zegler criticizes the plot of the original Snow White
The 2025 remake was not a faithful interpretation of the original film, and Zegler was eager to share her thoughts on how the character of Snow White had evolved with the times. “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,” she told Extra at the time. “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 … But it’s really not about the love story at all, which is really, really wonderful. It’s an inner journey that she goes on to find her true self and she meets a lot of people along the way that makes the journey really incredible.”
These statements angered Disney fans who thought Zegler was being flippant about the original movie or trying to make Snow White “feminist.”
July 2023: Rachel Zegler addresses criticism online
The Daily Mail kicked up the news cycle again with a story titled Snow White and the Seven... Politically-Correct Companions? with photos from the set depicting what looked like the seven dwarves with only one little person in the mix. Disney said the photos were stand-ins, not official, but the news caused a refreshed wave of backlash.
Zegler, who has never been afraid to speak her mind online, asked fans to please stop tagging her in comments about Snow White. “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,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside photos of herself as a child dressed as Snow White and other princesses.
August 2024: Gal Gadot’s Twitter account reportedly retweets and quickly deletes criticism of Rachel Zegler
It’s not clear if Gal Gadot runs her own social media accounts, but Times of Israel journalist Amy Spiro shared a screenshot of Gadot’s official account retweeting (and then seemingly undoing the RT) a tweet that read, “Trying to campaign on the head of your co-star, who actually lives through war, just so you'll look cooler with the kids, is really pathetic.”
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October 2023: Disney pushes the Snow White release date out a year
Due to the concurrent SAG/AFTRA and WGA strikes of 2023, Disney moved Snow White’s premiere from 2024 to 2025.
October and November 2023: Gal Gadot responds to Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Rachel Zegler signs ceasefire letter
"I stand with Israel, you should too," Gal Gadot posted on Instagram, one of several posts she shared expressing support for Israel and calling for the safe return of hostages after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed nearly 1,200 people. "The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!" Gadot grew up in Israel, where she served in the Israel Defense Forces.
In November, Gadot and her husband reportedly helped organize a screening of footage from the attack on Israel, titled Bearing Witness, though she did not attend the actual event, reportedly out of safety concerns. Per Newsweek, the screening was provided by the IDF, in partnership with IDF International spokesperson Amnon Shefler; it was attended by an IDF official and Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, plus Hollywood execs.
Meanwhile, as Vanity Fair notes, Zegler has said she has been a vocal supporter of Palestine for years. She joined dozens of celebrities in signing the Artists4Ceasfire letter addressed to President Biden.
December 2023: Rachel Zegler says online hate made her strong “like Teflon”
Zegler and Bailey, who both dealt with racist backlash over their roles as Disney princesses, joined forces for a Variety Actors on Actors segment, where Zegler said she was actually “thankful” for the social media hate and backlash because it made her stronger.
"We're making things that make people connect with one another. And there are people out there who say things that make people want to not come together, that make people want to fight. And it's just not worth the time and energy," the star said. "Choosing thankfulness and gratefulness is choosing peace. As much as you'd like to remind people verbally that being in the spotlight doesn't absolve you of your humanity — that you're allowed to have human moments — it doesn't necessarily do what you want it to do. It fuels them more."
August 2024: Rachel Zegler tweets “free Palestine”
In summer 2024, Zegler once again shared her pro-Palestine views on X shortly after the Snow White trailer dropped, thanking fans for their enthusiasm. “I am in the thick of rehearsals for Romeo + Juliet so I’m gonna get outta here. Bye for now,” she wrote. “And always remember, free Palestine.”
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Earlier in the summer, she had responded to a tweet calling her out for not speaking up for Palestine. “i have been public with a pro-palestine stance since 2021. have a nice day,” she posted.
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October 2024: Rachel Zegler makes her Broadway debut in the hit Romeo + Juliet and is a Teen Vogue cover star alongside Kit Connor
Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler begin their Broadway run of Romeo + Juliet to critical acclaim and intense fan interest.
In their Moment by Teen Vogue cover story, Connor reveals he first heard about Zegler through mutual friends who worked on Snow White. “When I was doing Heartstopper, I knew so many people who had worked on Snow White, crew members, and they only ever sung Rachel's praises,” Connor said. “It was like she was an angel that they'd worked with. That was my only knowledge of her. The real thing for me is the people that I trust and love are the people I care about.”
Zegler gave a tearful thank you, adding, “I love that crew. That crew is awesome, by the way. I didn't know that.”
Meanwhile, the play sold out all but one week of its successful run. Playbill reported that “the production recouped its entire $7 million initial investment and that its audiences were the youngest in recorded Broadway history. Looks like the revival found a winning combination that millennials and Gen-Zs were more than willing to pay for.”
November 2024: Rachel Zegler walks back comments about Donald Trump
After the 2024 presidential election, Zegler took to Instagram to share her frustration and sorrow after Donald Trump was elected, saying she was “speechless” about “another four years of hatred.”
“It is terrifying the number of people who stand behind what this man preaches,” Zegler wrote at the time. “It is a foolish subscription to a false sense of security, of masculinity, of intelligence, of patriotism, and of humanity.”
Zegler’s words were picked up by conservative media, namely Megyn Kelly, who said, “There’s something wrong with this person. You’re going to put out a Disney film with Snow White, a beloved American character, with a woman who hates more than half the country, the half that just elected Donald Trump?”
On Nov. 15, Zegler apologized for her comments, writing, “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. I firmly believe that everyone has the right to their own opinion, even when it differs from my own.”
March 2025: Snow White premieres, and rumors of tension between the two co-stars begin to spread
The film skipped a grand evening premiere in favor of a smaller celebration with no on-carpet interviews; some believed this was in effort to quiet any potential further controversy, including actor Klebba, who voiced Doc. “It really isn’t going to be a red carpet,” Klebba told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s going to be at the El Capitan [Theatre], which is cool. But it’s basically going to be a pre-party, watch the movie, and that’s it… Because of all this controversy, they’re afraid of the blowback from different people in society.” The actor also said it was because of “the controversy with Rachel,” though he clarified that this was speculation.
The two Snow White stars presented together at the 2025 Academy Awards, and rumors began to swirl that they weren’t getting along. An anonymous source told People that Zegler “has nothing in common” with her co-star, and, “On top of that, their political views differ, adding to the tension.”
March 21, 2025: Snow White debuts to dismal reviews
The film failed to perform, earning just $43 million in its first weekend at the box office. Variety reports that that’s lower than the 2019 Dumbo remake, and that other remakes, including Aladdin and The Lion King, opened with over $100 million. (Snow White cost $250 million to make.)
The movie was also bogged down by negative reviews; it currently has a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics praised Zegler’s performance but called out other elements of the movie, including the CGI dwarves. A Slate critic called Gadot’s performance “the biggest failure of the movie” and “absolutely abhorrent.” The Guardian went so far as to call it a “toe-curlingly terrible” remake.
March 25, 2025: A Variety article goes “inside” the failure of Snow White and is met with criticism alleging biased reporting
A Variety article written by Tatiana Siegel broke the news that producer Marc Platt flew to New York City to speak with Zegler after her “free Palestine” tweet in August 2024, and that the studio hired a social media guru for her.
The piece was criticized for being biased in favor of Gadot and blaming Zegler for the movie’s failure, including reporting that Disney had to hire additional security due to increased “death threats” against Gadot. “She didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone,” one “insider” told the publication.
“After October 7th [2023], I don’t talk politics — because who cares about the celebrity talking about politics?” Gadot told Variety in a separate March interview. “I’m an artist. I want to entertain people. I want to bring hope and be a beacon of light whenever I say anything about the world.”
March 26, 2025: Marc Platt’s son Jonah Platt criticizes Rachel Zegler, calling her actions “narcissism”
After Variety shared the news about Marc Platt flying to New York to speak with Zegler about her Palestine support, his son Jonah posted a now-deleted Instagram comment in his defense.
“You really want to do this? Yeah, my dad, the producer of enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, had to leave his family to fly across the country to reprimand his 20 year old employee [sic] for dragging her personal politics into the middle of promoting the movie for which she signed a multi-million dollar contract to get paid and do publicity for,” Jonah Platt wrote. “This is called adult responsibility and accountability. And her actions clearly hurt the film’s box office. Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions. Tens of thousands of people worked on that film and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of all the colleagues and crew and blue collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful. Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”
March 26, 2025: Actor Melissa Barrera appears to support Zegler, posts screenshots of previous Variety articles
Melissa Barrera, who was fired from Scream 7 after posting on social media in support of Palestine, entered the chat on March 26. Barrera took to Instagram Stories to share screenshots of articles written by Variety journalist Siegel, all of which focused on herself and Zegler.
Barrera also reposted a statement from popular creator Matt Bernstein that reads, “a newly published hit piece in Variety magazine attempts to paint Rachel Zegler as difficult and political radical. It doesn’t. it makes her look cool as hell and full of integrity.”
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March 27, 2025: More than 50 film journalists submit an open letter to Variety
A large group of journalists signed an open letter to Variety regarding Siegel’s March 25 article about Snow White and its portrayal of Zegler. “As film journalists and steadfast supporters of the Palestinian cause, we are shocked by this attack on Rachel Zegler and her activism, masquerading as a piece of insider news, in what is considered our industry’s leading trade magazine,” the letter read. “Blaming a box office failure on a young actor’s messages of solidarity with Palestine is particularly objectionable when Israel has drastically resumed its attacks on Gaza.”
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April 1, 2025: Ariana DeBose quotes Jonah Platt on Instagram, then admits she didn’t know the source
Ariana DeBose, who starred in West Side Story alongside Rachel Zegler, shared a quote from Jonah Platt’s Instagram comment that had been meme'd into an inspirational quote reading, “Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged,” against a bouquet of roses.
After people called her out on the use of Platt’s quote about Zegler, DeBose admitted it was an accident. “I post quotes all the time and thought this one was meaningful,” she wrote on Instagram. “Will fully cop to the fact I did not do any research on where this quote came from, nor did I know of the connection until it was pointed out to me. I have no intention of inserting myself into a news cycle. This is not the first time I’ve posted about dealing with narcissism and it probably won’t be the last, but next time I’ll be sure to clarify its origins first.”
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