Disney’s original 1937 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is universally known and loved, but its 2025 live-action remake may go down in history as one of the most controversial Disney movies of all time. The film has been riddled with controversy, including the backlash Rachel Zegler faced after being cast as Snow White, the reimagining of the seven dwarfs, and now, Zegler and her co-star Gal Gadot’s rumored drama. If you’re confused by all the discord surrounding Snow White, don’t worry. I’m here to break it all down for you.
After the Israel-Hamas war broke out in 2024, fans suspected a rift between Zegler and Gadot due to their opposing views. Zegler is an avid supporter of the Free Palestine movement, which she is vocal about on social media. Gadot, who is Israeli, has similarly shared her political beliefs on social media as a supporter of Israel. Her Campus reached out to both Zegler and Gadot’s teams for comment about their rumored conflict, but did not hear back by the time of publication. Neither Zegler nor Gadot have made any public statements about a rift.
With both of the Snow White stars sharing opposing viewpoints on the war, rumors that the actresses don’t see eye to eye because of their political beliefs have taken over social media. Plus, some fans say their 2025 Oscars appearance — where they presented the award for Best Visual Effects — felt awkward and forced, leading some to believe they have major beef.
It looks like the film’s controversy is starting to take a major toll on the film’s release. With a few days until the Hollywood premiere of Snow White on March 15, Disney has reportedly pumped the brakes on press. Variety reported on March 11 that Zegler and Gadot will attend a pre-party and screening of the movie at the El Capitan Theatre in LA, but there will be no red carpet interviews, which usually happens with major Hollywood releases.
With all the drama surrounding the forthcoming princess movie, it seems like Disney wants to avoid any more conflict.
Snow White has been crowded with contention ever since Zegler was announced as the titular star in June 2021. Why? Well, Zegler is of Colombian and Polish ancestry and is a proud Latina. In a 2024 interview with Variety, Zegler addressed the internet’s concerns over her casting due to her skin color, explaining that the 2025 film would follow a story “where she survived a snowstorm that occurred when she was a baby” and her parents named her Snow White “to remind her of her resilience.”
While I have no complaints about Disney shifting the story for the live-action adaptation, the same cannot be said for all fans. Some were upset after Zegler admitted the original film was “dated” and that the prince “literally stalks Snow White” in a 2022 interview with Entertainment Weekly.
During a separate interview with Variety at D23 in 2023, Zegler drew criticism when she revealed her version of Snow White was set to have a “modern edge to it” because “it’s no longer 1937.” Gadot and Zegler divulged that the princess was “not going to be saved by the prince” and that Snow White was more focused on “dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”
Just when it seemed like the film couldn’t attract more discourse, it did. Peter Dinklage appeared on a 2022 episode of the WTF With Mark Maron podcast where he admitted he was “sort of taken aback” by the film. Dinklage directly pointed out Zegler’s starring role of Snow White, stating, “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. ” Notably, Disney only cast one actor, Martin Klebba, to portray all seven dwarfs in the remake.
Snow White hits theaters on March 21, 2025.