Disney’s live-action Snow White has been mired in controversy for years, but the enthusiastic first reactions to Rachel Zegler’s performance in the title role should come as no surprise. Throughout the decade it’s been in development, Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White has faced all kinds of backlash and controversies. The film’s decision to stick by its problematic depiction of seven dwarfs living in a cave was met with some criticism (mostly notably by Peter Dinklage, one of the first public figures to speak out against the Snow White remake), and the uncanny-valley CGI didn’t make it any better.

Zegler’s comments disparaging Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs drew a negative response from fans of the original Disney classic who felt she was disrespecting the source material. Plus, Zegler and her co-star Gal Gadot’s opposing views on the conflict between Israel and Palestine have made it difficult for Disney to promote the remake. Snow White was one of the most controversial and hotly debated films of 2025 before Disney had even released a single frame of footage. But now, the first reactions are in, praising it as one of Zegler’s best performances — and it shouldn’t be a surprise.

The Snow White Remake’s First Reactions Are Full Of Praise For Rachel Zegler

Zegler’s Performance Is A Highlight

The Snow White remake’s first reactions are in, and they’re mostly positive. This is par for the course — it’s rare that first reactions to a big new movie are negative, because the social media influencers who provide the reactions want to keep being invited to early screenings — but the interesting part is where the praise is being directed. There are a few elements that crop up in these positive write-ups of Snow White: the animals are cute, the visuals are stunning, and the message lands. But the most common thread between these reviews is that Zegler is great.

The reviews are saying that Zegler is an enchanting screen presence who perfectly captures the gentle grace of the O.G. Disney princess.

The reviews are saying that Zegler is an enchanting screen presence who perfectly captures the gentle grace of the O.G. Disney princess. Apparently, she gives a magical performance that embodies the character beautifully. Her star power and mesmerizing singing voice deftly carry the movie, with a “vocal range crafted by the gods,” and she brings all the charm of the original cartoon into the live-action version.

Rachel Zegler Already Proved She Can Be Brilliant In An Iconic Musical Role

Zegler Stole The Show In Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story

It should come as no surprise that Zegler has given a great performance in an iconic role in a remake of a classic movie musical, because she already did that a few years ago. In Steven Spielberg’s underappreciated reimagining of West Side Story, Zegler played the lead role of María, originally made famous by Natalie Wood in the 1961 version. West Side Story may have been a box office failure, but it was widely praised by critics, with some even calling it an improvement over the original.

Zegler’s performance was a big part of that, which is even more remarkable considering it was her first ever movie role. The emotional core of the story is María’s aversion to all the gang violence around her, and Zegler nailed the tragedy of that arc. She also lit up the screen in all the musical numbers. Zegler has been great in her other roles, too. There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding this movie, some of it generated by Zegler’s comments, which has taken away from just how talented she is — so of course she’s great as Snow White.

Will Snow White Being Good Be Enough To Help The Movie?

Snow White Could Salvage A Lackluster Month At The Box Office

The reactions are saying Snow White is great — possibly Disney’s best live-action remake to date — but will it be enough to boost the film to box office success? Controversies don’t always impact a movie’s box office returns, because they tend to exist in a social media bubble and don’t have any influence on the general audience, so it’s unlikely that Snow White’s commercial performance will be hurt by the backlash. But Disney’s live-action remakes have been struggling at the box office lately, so Snow White will have to overcome that, too.

The live-action Snow White remake was directed by The Amazing Spider-Man‘s Marc Webb.

Currently, Snow White’s box office tracking is looking pretty good. It’s projected to take in $50-$56 million at the domestic box office on its opening weekend (via The Hollywood Reporter). According to the report, theater owners are counting on Snow White to salvage a slow box office month. The underperformance of Mickey 17, Novocaine, and Black Bag has led to a pretty lackluster month at the movies, but Snow White is looking like it could turn that around. And now that the enthusiastic first reactions are in, its prospects will probably only get better from here.