The list of upcoming Disney movies on the 2025 movie schedule has some guaranteed hits like Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2, but it also has some significant question marks. The biggest of these has to be the forthcoming live-action remake of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler, which has already received its fair share of backlash prior to release.
Disney’s live-action remakes have run the gamut from billion-dollar smash hits to direct to Disney+ flops. There are a lot of reasons that Snow White could be one of those success stories, but the film has been mired in controversy for years thanks to everything from Rachel Zegler’s casting to expected changes to the source material.
Speaking recently with Vogue Mexico (and translated by Variety) Zegler chalks up all the backlash to what is simply a very passionate fanbase. She said…
I interpret people’s sentiments towards this film as passion. What an honor to be a part of something that people feel so passionately about. We’re not always going to agree with everyone who surrounds us and all we can do is our best.
The actress is certainly taking the high road here with her statements, as the backlash against Zegler’s own casting started almost as soon as it happened. To me, it feels as if "passion" may be a polite way of noting some have a problem with Zegler being cast as a Latina Disney Princess.
That aside, it’s certainly true that a lot of the response has been from people who at least claim that they care deeply about the source material. When Zegler indicated the new movie would not have Snow White saved by a prince, many fans took issue with that bit of info, as it seemed to indicate a drastic shift from the source material. (Even if a change to Snow White's source material might make for a more interesting movie.)
At every turn, it seems there has been a new controversy. When the first trailer for Snow White arrived, perhaps there was hope fans would see the way the new film clearly took its inspiration from the Disney original. Instead, fans freaked out over the look of CGI dwarfs.
The question now is simply how all this "passion" for an 85-year-old movie is going to translate to the box office. Will people excited for a new version of Snow White turn out and make the movie a hit, or will those people who feel strongly that there’s something wrong with the movie stay away?
Sometimes controversy benefits a film as everybody decides to turn out just to see what all the fuss is about. At this point it's too early to tell, though how Snow White turns out will certainly be one of the more interesting topics of the cinematic year. If Snow White is a hit it will likely set the stage for a big year for Disney. if it isn't, it could hinder the theatrical slate for the rest of 2025.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
'It’s A Mess.' Sony Was Only Supposed To Finance And Distribute It Ends With Us. How It Ended Up Playing Mediator Between Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni
‘Survive To 25’ Was Apparently The Mantra Of The Post-Pandemic Movie Era, But Will Superman, Avatar And More Turn Things Around At The Box Office This Year?
