Disney is hosting a Hollywood premiere of “Snow White” on March 15, but the studio won’t be rolling out a robust red carpet like it usually does.
The afternoon festivities will include a pre-party and screening at the El Capitan Theatre with titular star Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, expected to attend. However, the red carpet will not include the dozens of media outlets usually invited by Disney to interview the cast and creatives at its premieres.
Instead, coverage will be limited to photographers and a house crew.
The studio did not comment for this story, but the scaled back plans come amid controversies surrounding the Marc Webb-directed film, which hits theaters March 21.
Some toxic Disney fans questioned Snow White being played by Zegler when her casting was announced because she is a Latina actor The “West Side Story” star also faced backlash when she called the 1937 original “dated” because the prince “literally stalks Snow White.”
In an interview with Variety at D23 two years ago, Zegler said, “She’s not going to be saved by the prince. She’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”
Peter Dinklage spoke out about the movie’s portrayal of little people for perpetuating negative stereotypes. “Literally no offense to anything, but I was sort of taken aback,” he said on the “WTF With Mark Maron” podcast in January 2024. “They were very proud to cast a Latino actress as Snow White, but you’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there.”
Shortly following Dinklage’s remarks, Disney said in a statement to “Good Morning America,” “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.”
Zegler reasons that the backlash to the film is due to the “passion” for the original film. “I interpret people’s sentiments towards this film as passion,” she said in an interview in the March issue of Vogue Mexico. “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.” (Quotes were independently translated from Spanish to English by Variety).
World politics have also come into play. Zegler has promoted “free Palestine” on social media. At the same time. Gadot, who is Israeli, has become an outspoken supporter of Israel on social media as well as in a passionate speech she delivered on March 4 when she was honored at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual summit in New York City. “Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States, and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying and cheering on a massacre of Jews,” she said, in part.
Gadot has stayed away from politics in the past, but has said she felt she needed to speak up after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
In February, several dozen pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Hollywood premiere of “Captain America: Brave New World” and called for a boycott of the film over its inclusion of the Israeli superhero Ruth Bat-Seraph, aka Sabra, played by Israeli actress Shira Haas.
MAGA supporters also blasted Zegler for her reaction to Donald Trump’s reelection when she posted on Instagram, in part, “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.” She apologized for her remarks two days later.
Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot at the 97th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2025 in Hollywood.
“Snow White” publicity plans have already included Gadot and Zegler presenting together at the Oscars followed by Zegler making a promotional appearance in Tokyo. Zegler and Webb will also visit Spain for the movie followed by Zegler hosting a screening in New York City for the Broadway community.
Gadot was on “Good Morning America” on Monday in support of the movie.
The official trailer for the film has garnered 11.8 million views on YouTube since its debut three months ago.
News
I wish I had asked him what he meant…: A friend of James “Weston” Higginbotham said investigators recently reviewed a very private conversation they had just days before he disappeared. Even more noteworthy was the last letter he left behind
The ongoing investigation into the death of 20-year-old James “Weston” Higginbotham continues to reveal intimate and unsettling details that have deepened the sorrow surrounding his disappearance in the mountains outside Kyoto, Japan. What began as a family vacation to celebrate…
🚨 THE FIRST THING HIS PARENTS ASKED WASN’T THE CAUSE OF DE@TH. According to those close to the family, they wanted to know about Weston’s mental health at the time and whether the doctor’s conclusion was shocking them
The heartbreaking recovery of 20-year-old James “Weston” Higginbotham’s body in the mountainous terrain outside Kyoto, Japan, has left his family navigating not only profound loss but also deep questions about his state of mind in his final hours. What was…
“That’s not how he wanted to end his life…” A close friend of James “Weston” Higginbotham said detectives recently contacted them about a phone found after his body was discovered, believing it could help shed light on his final hours
The tragic discovery of 20-year-old James “Weston” Higginbotham’s body in the mountainous wilderness outside Kyoto, Japan, has plunged his family and friends into unimaginable grief, but new revelations about a recovered phone are adding layers of complexity and quiet hope…
BREAKING NEWS — Weston Higginbotham’s body has been found, but what saddened his family and rescuers most was his pitiful condition when discovered… The scratches looked as if a fight had just taken place.
The recovery of 20-year-old James “Weston” Higginbotham’s body in the steep, rain-soaked mountains outside Kyoto, Japan, has delivered devastating closure to a frantic week-long search, yet the details emerging about the young Auburn University student’s condition have left his family,…
“He never went hiking without that little flashlight…” A close friend of James “Weston” Higginbotham says investigators recently asked about the small pocket light he always kept in his backpack — because rescue crews reportedly never found it with his belongings
The disappearance and subsequent discovery of the body of 20-year-old James “Weston” Higginbotham, an Auburn University student from Hoover, Alabama, in the mountainous terrain outside Kyoto, Japan, has left his family, friends, and a broader community grappling with profound grief…
“‘THE BOY WOULD NEVER DO THAT…’ The family of James “Weston” Higginbotham speaks out against the conclusion reached when his body was found, believing it to be a homicide and that the suspect is one of these individuals”
The tragic conclusion to the search for James “Weston” Higginbotham in the forested mountains outside Kyoto, Japan, has brought an unimaginable layer of grief to his family, who now find themselves in a painful struggle against the official explanations of…
End of content
No more pages to load
