Disney’s live-action Snow White has finally arrived. Yet its debut has been overshadowed by controversy rather than fanfare.

In stark contrast to the glitzy premieres of previous Disney remakes, Snow White, a $250m live-action remake of its 1937 animated classic, is launching with a scaled-back red-carpet event.

Advance ticket sales look weak, and critics have yet to see the film which has become a public-relations nightmare where press interactions are conspicuously absent. Only photographers and Disney’s in-house crew have been allowed to attend its premiere in Hollywood on Saturday .

The backlash began long before cameras started rolling.

From accusations of “girlbossifying” a classic princess to the erasure of dwarves and even the Israel-Gaza conflict, the film has become a lightning rod for criticism.

What should have been a straightforward fairy-tale adaptation has instead ignited controversy on multiple fronts. Rather than a magical revival, Snow White has become a cultural flashpoint.

“Snow White: the fearless leader”? 

Rachel Zegler, who plays the titular character of Snow White, faced heavy backlash when an old interview from the D23 Expo resurfaced.

In an interview with Variety, she dismissed the 1937 animated film as outdated, calling its prince “a guy who literally stalks her” and joking that his role “could get cut.”

“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937,” she said. “We absolutely wrote Snow White that… she’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”

Social media users were unimpressed.

Critics slammed the movie's "girlboss" route, pointing out that female characters didn’t have to fit a contemporary feminist template to be a protagonist – particularly in Disney movies, where that characteristic is not always key. 

“Not every woman is a leader. Not every woman wants to be a leader. Not every woman wants or craves power. And that’s OK,” one critic, posting under the handle @CosyWithAngie, argued on TikTok.

The user went on to argue that Zegler’s approach to the movie could miss the mountain for the trees, missing a larger moral to the story by focusing on the romantic and feminist angle. 

Zegler’s casting itself stirred debate.

She is of Colombian and Polish descent, leading some to question whether she was a suitable choice for a character whose defining trait—at least according to the Brothers Grimm—is having skin “as white as snow.”

Fans of the movie argued that ethnicity and complexion were an important part of the story, in which Snow White usurps the Queen as the “fairest of them all”.

“Magical creatures or a disability group”?

If Zegler’s comments poured fuel on a smouldering fire, actor Peter Dinklage fanned the flames of a separate controversy.

The seven dwarves—integral to the original story—have been removed, replaced by “magical creatures.”

While lauding the studio’s diverse casting, Dinklage condemned the continued inclusion of dwarves in the story.

“You’re progressive in one way, but you’re still making that f***ing backward story of seven dwarves living in a cave. What the f*** are you doing, man?” he asked in an interview with podcaster Marc Maron in early 2022.

“Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough,” Dinklage said.

Disney responded swiftly.

“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.”

 The title was shortened—gone was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs—and the dwarves were replaced with “magical creatures.”

Yet the decision sparked outrage among actors with dwarfism, who argued that Disney had erased them from a major Hollywood production.

“You took seven potential dwarfing dream jobs away,” fumed wrestler-turned-actor Dylan “Hornswoggle” Postl. 

Zack Roloff, a reality TV star with dwarfism also weighed in, critical of Dinklage’s comments, accusing the movie makers of using CGI to erase people with dwarfism from the production.

It is unclear whether Dinklage is currently content with the changes since his initial criticism led Disney to replace dwarves with “magical creatures.” But the result has been met with even greater backlash from the community furious over their loss of career opportunities. 

Disney’s strategy of reimagining its animated classics in live-action began with Alice in Wonderland in 2010 and continued with Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). Yet the release of Mulan in 2020 exposed the risks of adapting folklore in an era of heightened socio-political sensitivities.

Politics at play

Even the film’s villains are not immune to controversy.

Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, has come under scrutiny due to her ties to Israel.

The actress, who served in the Israeli military, has long been vocal in her support for the country’s armed forces and has condemned Hamas, the Palestinian resistance group.

This has placed her at odds with her co-star.

Zegler has publicly supported Palestinians in the ongoing conflict. Sources suggest that there is reportedly a rift between the two stars over their opposing stances on the war. 

With all the controversies surrounding casting and story direction, did Snow White become too politically correct for its own good?