When it comes to the slate of upcoming Disney movies, the latest film on the docket is the live-action Snow White remake. A lot of buzz has surrounded the film up to this point, but not all of it has been positive. The film’s two lead actresses, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, have been ensnared in a few controversies that remain in flux in the lead-up to the film’s release. The blowback has been so strong that the film reportedly won’t have a typical Hollywood premiere, and a cast member is opening up about that and more.
Snow White’s Martin Klebba Opens Up About The Snow White Premiere Change
Usually, a big Disney movie – or massive film in general – a lavish premiere is held in Tinseltown. However, it’s been alleged in the past week that due to controversies surrounding the cast and more, the House of Mouse is opting to do the bare minimum for the affair, where press members won’t be on the red carpet. Martin Klebba, who voices Grumpy in the upcoming 2025 movie release, is more than aware of the chatter surrounding his latest film and, while speaking to THR, he weighed in on the film studio’s pivot:
It really isn’t going to be a red carpet. 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. There’s not going to be this whole hoopla of, ‘Disney’s first fucking movie they ever made.’ Because of all this controversy, they’re afraid of the blowback from different people in society.
One thing that should be noted is that Disney hasn’t formally confirmed the reason for the change to the premiere. The veteran Pirates of the Caribbean cast member also confirmed to the trade that he hadn’t been told exactly why the event had been scaled down. Nevertheless, insiders attribute it to “the controversy with Rachel.” Zegler received racist backlash after the 2022 D23 Expo, during which she opined that the remake needed to make some major changes to the original 1937 film, which she viewed as antiquated in some respects. In November 2024, Zegler also received backlash after making comments about the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President.
As noted by Time Magazine, it’s been alleged that there’s also been friction between Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot in regard to the Israel-Hamas situation. Gadot has shared support for Israel, for which she served as part of its Defense Forces. As for Zegler, she’s expressed support for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict. While these are among some of the biggest controversies linked to Snow White, there’s another that Martin Klebba also spoke to.
What Martin Klebba Had To Say About The Conflicts Involving The Dwarfs
Another point of contention with this film has to deal with the inclusion of depiction of the seven dwarfs that Snow White encounters in the film. In 2023, set photos surfaced and showed one actor with dwarfism along with six non-dwarf actors of varying ethnicities portraying the seven characters. Disney later reported that these actors were meant to be stand-ins for the actual cast, of which Martin Klebba (who has dwarfism) was one. When addressing those who took issue with the dwarfs appearing in the film at all, Klebba said the following:
I don’t usually get into the political stuff, but I [felt], ‘Dwarfs aren’t going to go away just because you can’t imagine that they’re there. We’re still going to be walking around. So I didn’t get the whole stuff about not doing the dwarfs. The story’s been around forever, and it’s a classic.
Back in 2022, the film was criticized by actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism. Dinklage questioned how the film could be progressive by casting a latina actress (Rachel Zegler) to play the titular role but simultaneously tell “that fucking backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together.” Martin Klebba shared more thoughts on the rationale behind the film using CGI dwarves:
If you guys go this route, it just makes sense to be able to draw them the way you want. This way, they’re all the same size. And to find seven little people actors to pull it off, that’s not an easy thing either.
This seems to be a nuanced conversation that may or may not end after the upcoming live-action Disney remake has been released. Regardless of the controversies swirling around the movie, it seems Martin Klebba is pleased with it and ready for the public to check it out.
You can see Snow White when it opens on March 14 and, in the meantime, its animated predecessor is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.
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