Disney’s Snow White remake: Backlash, release date, social media review & more | Everything you need to know

Disney's live-action film of the famous fairytale Snow White debuts this weekend. Ahead of its release, the film has met with criticism and controversy, along with disappointing reviews and a tepid box office outlook.

Snow White release date

The film led by Rachel Zegler will hit the theatres on Friday, March 21, while the preview screenings started on Thursday, March 20.

What is the controversy around Disney's Snow White Movie?

Rachel Zegler was announced as the lead character of Snow White in 2021. The makers of the film and the actress received heavy backlash on social media over the Colombian ancestry of Zegler. The original film showed Snow White with “skin as white as snow.”

Following the backlash, Zegler defended her character and told Variety last year that the origin of Snow White's name has changed, and it now highlights how she survived a snowstorm as a baby.

While speaking on the controversy, R&B artist Brandy suggested to Zegler, “You’re not taking on this role to fit the mould of the critics…You’re doing this for every little Colombian girl who has yet to see themselves in a role like a Disney princess," Zegler told Variety.

Brandy herself faced criticism as the first black woman to play the role of Cinderella in the 1997 remake of the film, Cinderella.

Seven dwarfs

Dwarf actors such as Peter Dinklage took a stand for the community over typecasting and stereotypes of certain roles. He criticised the Snow White remake for not attempting to diversify the story.

“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,'” Washington Post quoted Dinklage from the “WTF” podcast. “You’re progressive in one way and you’re still making that… backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together,” he added.

What does social media say?

However, many social media criticised Zegler's casting and gave mixed reviews for the film.

One of the users wrote on X, “Disney is trying a really interesting marketing strategy where the star of the new Snow White spends a year before the movie’s release publicly talking about how much she despises Snow White."

“CULTURAL APPROPRIATION: As a Latino male I FULLY REJECT a Latina playing Snow White. Snow White is a white European character that's based on German folklore. Why are we changing characters in the name of DEI?! BOYCOTT this abomination!(sic)” added another.

One of the users wrote, "Snow White, is soulless. This is embarrassing."

“I sadly left underwhelmed. Zegler is outstanding & her vocal performance really elevated the old & new songs.I even found the dwarfs to be fun. Everything else is just aimless, no real plot, weak villain,& many under developed characters. It’s decent just not memorable,”added another user.