Snow White hits theatres today amid controversy and cultural debates

After massive backlash, the Snow White movie has been released in theatres today. Several social media users criticised the movie and called it 'soulless and embarrassing'

Marc Webb-directed Snow White has been released in theatres today, March 21, 2025. It is a live-action remake of Walt Disney’s 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

 

Before hitting theatres, the movie faced controversies pulling the company back into the culture wars that Walt Disney company CEO, Bob Iger, has been trying to avoid.

 

American actress Rachel Anne Zegler faced online threats due to her Colombian heritage which people believe makes her unfit for the role. 

 

She had to face backlash for calling the original movie outdated, followed by an online post about US President Donald Trump and his supporters, which only worsened the online attacks against the actress.

 

 

Apart from this, Zegler and Gal Gadot, the Israeli actress (playing the Evil Queen in the movie), share diagonally opposite views on the Israel-Gaza conflict, further complicating the situation for the makers.

Snow White release date

Rachel Zegler-starrer Snow White has been released in theatres today,  March 21(Friday), while the preview screenings started on Thursday, March 20.

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

Rachel Zegler, the lead actress in Snow White, belongs to Colombian ancestry. Many people were not happy with this casting and shared their disagreement over social media. The original 1937 film showed Snow White with “skin as white as snow.”

 

While defending her character in the movie Zegler told Variety that the origin of Snow White's name has changed, highlighting how she survived a snowstorm as a baby.

 

While speaking about 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," she told Variety.

 

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

How did social media react?

Many social media users also reacted to the controversy, sharing 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)” another user said.

 

“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.

 

A fourth user said, "Snow White, is soulless. This is embarrassing,"