The Snow White remake continues to get an icy reception from its many detractors as the Disney film draws closer to its theatrical release. The backlash remains so intense that the House of Mouse has made a surprising promotional decision across the pond.

According to the Daily Mail, Disney has scrapped plans to premiere the live-action Snow White film in the United Kingdom. Reportedly, Disney opted against a star-studded UK premiere at the ODEON Luxe Leicester because of the anti-woke sentiments shared by movie lovers about the fantasy adventure blockbuster. “Disney are already anticipating an anti-woke backlash against Snow White and have reduced the media schedule to just a handful of tightly controlled press events,” one insider told the outlet.

With much of the outrage surrounding Rachel Zegler’s casting as the eponymous Disney princess and her comments about the original Snow White, the insider claimed Disney will limit the questions Zegler will face to prevent further negative reactions. ‘That is why they have taken the highly unusual step not to host a London premiere for the film and are minimizing the amount of press questions that Rachel Zegler gets,’ the source said.

The Snow White Movie Has Endured Backlash

Zegler’s casting sparked endless fan furor when Disney announced her as the live-action Snow White in 2021. This is mainly due to Zegler’s Latina background, with her detractors believing the role should have gone to a Caucasian actor and accusing Disney of being too woke. Critics also lambasted Disney for not including “the Seven Dwarfs” in the title, which the original film did.

Zegler further angered fans with her comments about the original Snow White in 2022, telling Extra TV that the beloved animated movie was “dated” and presented a problematic portrayal of the Disney princess. The DC Extended Universe alum also suggested Snow White’s love interest, Prince Florian, had stalker-like tendencies and called the film “weird.” Zegler has long said her comments were misconstrued and admits the backlash saddened her. Zegler also stated she’s proud to be a Latina princess and loved working on the movie, while stating the remake will show Snow White’s leadership and strength.

The Snow White remake is a modern-day adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was one of Disney’s first success stories in the film industry and remains one of the greatest animated showpieces they’ve produced. Zegler stars alongside Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, who portrays the Evil Queen, and Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, Snow White’s love interest. The film’s first trailer attracted mixed reviews, with its second debuting in February to a similarly lukewarm reception.

Directed by The Amazing Spider-Man franchise helmer Marc Webb, Snow White is on track for a solid opening weekend at the box office, though recent projections have steadily declined. The film was made on a reported budget ranging from $240 million to $269 million.

Snow White opens in theaters on Mar. 21.