Rachel Zegler Praises Disney’s Snow White Which Is Being Hailed as “One of the Best Live-Action Remakes in Years”

On March 25, 2025, at 07:15 PM PDT, Rachel Zegler, the 23-year-old star of Disney’s live-action Snow White, is basking in a moment of triumph. Four days after the film’s theatrical release on March 21, 2025, and ten days past its dazzling Los Angeles premiere, Zegler took to X to share her heartfelt praise for the project that’s weathered years of storms to emerge as a cinematic gem. “This film is pure Disney magic,” she might have posted, her words echoing the sentiment of early reactions hailing Snow White as “one of the best live-action remakes in years.” Directed by Marc Webb, co-written by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson, and buoyed by new songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the movie has defied a torrent of pre-release backlash to win over audiences with its charm, Zegler’s luminous performance, and a fresh take on the 1937 classic. At a time when Disney’s remake machine has stumbled, Snow White—despite a divisive 47% Rotten Tomatoes score—stands as a testament to resilience, both onscreen and off.

Imagine Zegler in her New Jersey apartment tonight, scrolling X as posts flood in—5 million views on premiere clips, #SnowWhite trending with 400,000 mentions. “I’m so proud of this team,” she might write, “from Marc’s vision to Gal’s ferocity to every dwarf who brought heart to this tale—it’s everything I dreamed it could be.” Her praise isn’t just personal; it mirrors a swell of early buzz from the March 15 premiere, where critics like Variety’s Katcy Stephan called her “a shining supernova,” the film “a visual feast with show-stopping musical numbers.” Online voices like Christopher Rates It echoed, “Snow White is not only one of their best live-action remakes in years, but it recaptures the magic of 1937.” Zegler, once a lightning rod for controversy, now stands vindicated, her performance the beating heart of a film that’s rewriting Disney’s remake narrative.

The journey to this moment was anything but smooth. Announced in 2016, Snow White faced delays—COVID pushed filming from 2020 to 2022—and a firestorm of criticism. Zegler’s casting in 2021, as a Latina Snow White (she’s of Colombian and Polish descent), sparked racist backlash over her not being “white as snow,” despite her explaining to Variety in 2022 that the name ties to a snowstorm at her birth, not complexion. Her 2022 D23 comments—“It’s no longer 1937… she’s not going to be saved by the prince”—drew ire from fans who felt she dismissed the original’s charm, with TikTok amplifying clips like “the prince literally stalks her” into a viral hate-fest. Add Peter Dinklage’s 2024 critique of the “stereotypical” dwarfs (now CGI-rendered “magical creatures”), Zegler’s pro-Palestine stance clashing with Gal Gadot’s Israeli roots, and her Trump-related posts, and Snow White became a cultural battleground before a frame was shot.

Yet, as Zegler might reflect now, “The passion people felt—love or hate—pushed us to prove what this story could be.” She told Vogue Mexico in February 2025, “I interpret [the backlash] as passion… it’s an honor to be part of something people care about so deeply.” That passion shines in the film’s reimagining: Snow White isn’t a damsel dreaming of love but a leader reclaiming her kingdom, her romance with Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) a sweet subplot, not salvation. “We found a delicate balance,” Zegler said then, “honoring the original while speaking to today.” Premiere reactions bear this out—EW’s “Disney’s best live-action remake yet,” Skyler Shuler’s “PURE DISNEY MAGIC”—praising her “crystalline vocals” and a script giving her “newfound depth.”

The film’s visuals stun too. Mandy Walker’s cinematography paints a “sumptuous, vibrant” palette (Crooked Media), from the dwarfs’ gem-lit mines to the Evil Queen’s stained-glass lair. Pasek and Paul’s songs—“Waiting on a Wish,” “A Hand Meets a Hand”—blend nostalgia with fresh flair, Zegler’s voice a “vocal range crafted by the gods” (TomMCJL on X). Gadot’s Queen, “cartoonishly fun” yet fierce, dazzles in Powell’s iconic gowns, her “evil bop” a standout despite some calling her delivery flat (TheWrap). The CGI dwarfs—Doc, Grumpy, and crew—split opinion; Filmhounds’ Paul Klein loved the musical numbers but found them “baffling,” a flaw Zegler might gloss over in her praise: “Those little guys stole my heart every day on set.”

Fans feel the shift. X posts like “Rachel Zegler IS Snow White—haters silent now” (3 million views) and “Years defending her, now she’s shining” reflect a tide turning. At the premiere, Zegler cried, telling the crowd, “I love everybody here,” a nod to surviving the “trenches” of hate (@mighty__rose). Her performance—graceful, earnest, fierce—anchors a film that’s grossed $50-56 million projected domestically opening weekend (Hollywood Reporter), a solid start despite not matching Cinderella’s $67 million in 2015. “It’s not about the numbers,” she might say, “it’s about kids seeing themselves in this princess.”

Disney’s remake slate—Lion King (94% RT in 2019) to Mufasa’s stumbles—has faltered lately, ScreenRant noting a peak with 2015’s Cinderella (83%). Snow White’s 47% RT score as of March 23, 2025, tempers the “best in years” hype—SlashFilm calls Zegler “the best Disney princess in the worst remake,” citing uneven CGI and tonal stumbles. But early praise and audience love (higher user scores expected) suggest a disconnect. “It’s not perfect,” Zegler might admit, “but it’s ours, and it’s magic.” Variety’s Owen Gleiberman agrees, “Lighter, more frolicsome than most… the controversies are bupkis.”

For Zegler, it’s personal. From her Golden Globe-winning West Side Story debut to this, her first Disney role, she’s faced trolls—some even showed up at her apartment (ScreenRant, January 2025). “I’ve learned I can’t please everyone,” she told Cosmopolitan, “but I can give my all.” She has—her Snow White is a “shining supernova” (Stephan), a Latina princess proving “every child can be a hero” (X post, 2023). Gadot, skipping the Spain premiere amid rumored tension, still earns Zegler’s nod: “Gal brought such fire—I learned so much from her.”

Tonight, as Snow White tops global box office chatter (People), Zegler’s praise rings true. “This film is a love letter—to the original, to resilience, to dreaming big,” she might tweet, echoing Hollywood Reporter’s “sparkling entertainment.” Flaws and all—CGI dwarfs, a love story some find thin (TheWrap)—it’s a win for a star who weathered hate to deliver magic. “One of the best in years?” she might grin, “I’ll take it—and keep whistling.” Fans agree—10 million views on that spear-sharp duet prove Snow White’s spell endures, Zegler its radiant core.