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Credit: LionsgateIn 1937, a pivotal moment in history occurred with the premiere of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs by Walt Disney Pictures. This event marked the inaugural release of a full-length animated feature film by The Walt Disney Company, sparking a revolution in the realm of animation. This accomplishment not only solidified Disney’s standing as a trailblazer in narrative storytelling and exceptional artistic creativity but also laid the foundation for a century of inspiring generations through its unique brand of nostalgic storytelling.
Related: Rachel Zegler Finally Weighs in on “Woke” ‘Snow White’ Change
The Latest Disney Remake and Its Star’s Controversy
Disney’s series of live-action remakes have been met with a mix of excitement and criticism. While these films aim to breathe new life into classic animated tales and bring them to a younger generation, it’s no secret that not all audiences have embraced them. Detractors of this new “Disney formula” often cite that the remakes, despite modern technology, struggle to capture the same magic and charm of the originals.
A fair few critiques center around the use of “nostalgia bait” and the seeming lack of originality, with the remakes accused of rehashing familiar narratives for easy commercial gain. Changes to storylines, characters, and casting choices have also fueled controversy, leading to debates about whether these alterations enhance or diminish the essence of the beloved originals.
The spotlight has been, therefore, on Snow White lead actress, Rachel Zegler recently, who has been subject to a fair amount of controversy since her announced casting.
Related: Rachel Zegler Speaks Out on Nearly “Canceled” ‘Snow White’, Gives Final Update
The forthcoming musical fantasy film, Disney’s Snow White, directed by Marc Webb and written by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson, is a live-action adaptation of Walt Disney’s 1937 animated classic. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Marc Platt Productions, it features Rachel Zegler in the lead role of Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.
Leading up to its theatrical release on March 21, 2025, however, Snow White has been surrounded by a deluge of controversies, including critiques of Zegler’s involvement in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA actor’s strikes, alterations to the original Snow White storyline, the use of color-blind casting, and the choice of non-dwarf actors for characters originally portrayed as dwarfs.
Rachel Zegler Turned Down a Massive Role
Snow White star Rachel Zegler arguably had her big break with the 2021 West Side Story remake as the iconic María opposite Ansel Elgort (The Fault In Our Stars) as Tony, Ariana DeBose (Disney’s Wish) as Anita, David Alvarez (Billy Elliot the Musical on Broadway) as Bernardo, Mike Faist (Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway) as Riff, Rita Moreno (the original Anita in 1961’s West Side Story film) as Valentina, and Brian d’Arcy James (Hamilton, Shrek the Musical on Broadway) as Sergeant Krupke.
Disney’s Snow White remake is not the only major franchise film Zegler has been involved in, though — as the growing star has been busy with The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023).
Speaking to Josh Horowitz of the happy sad confused podcast at 92NY, Songbirds & Snakes director Francis Lawrence admitted to Zegler having “broke [his] heart” and “bended it” at first — by turning down the role of Lucy Baird. Zegler immediately jumped in, apologizing profusely with “I’m so sorry, Francis”, explaining how she had been apologizing “steadily throughout the filming process” because of just how much she regretted turning down the film initially.
Reality is… yeah, you get burnout at some point. And I was trying to be as emotionally mature but also self-preserving, and didn’t feel like I had it in me to spend another half of the year out of the country away from my family. And I didn’t wanna lead Francis on, so I kind of, really, said no from the word go.
The director replied:
And I totally understood it. ‘Cause we had a four hour meeting, and at the end of the meeting I said “is there anything else you’d like to know “, and she goes “yeah, when’s it happening and where is it happening”? … And I saw her go white as a ghost. Like, oh my god, she’s never doing this movie”.
When Horowitz asks Zegler to imagine that she was “watching all this on stage with another talented actress” — to which Zegler admits:
Well, I would have been very happy for her, and I’m sure she would’ve done an incredible job. Um, but then I also would’ve been Jennifer Lawrence, saying, “you’ll never take my part!”
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, in 2023, is an American dystopian action film directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. It is an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel of the same name, serving as a prequel to the 2012 film The Hunger Games and marking the fifth installment in The Hunger Games film series.
The narrative unfolds 64 years before the events of the initial film, delving into the backstory of a young Coriolanus Snow and the events that shape him into the tyrannical leader of Panem. Central to the plot is his relationship with Lucy Gray Baird, the tribute from District 12 during the 10th Hunger Games.
The cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes features Tom Blyth as Coriolanus “Coryo” Snow, the mentor for the upcoming 10th Hunger Games and the future President of Panem, with Dexter Sol Ansell portraying the young Coriolanus. Rachel Zegler takes on the role of Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12, and Josh Andrés Rivera plays Sejanus Plinth.
What do you think about Rachel Zegler admitting to turning down The Hunger Games? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
More on Disney’s Snow White
This new Snow White “Disney remake” film joins the likes of Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella (2015) starring Lily James (Cinderella), Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent (2014), Beauty and the Beast (2017) with Emma Watson (Belle) and Dan Stevens (Beast), Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin (2019), Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019), Tim Burton’s Dumbo (2019), and Niki Caro-directed Mulan (2020) with Liu Yifei (Mulan).
The most recent Disney remake was 2023’s The Little Mermaid reboot of the 1989 Walt Disney Animation classic of the same name, starring Halle Bailey taking over from voice actress Jodi Benson (Ariel) in the lead role.
Andrew Burnap is slated to play Jonathan (essentially, The Prince), while Ansu Kabia will portray Huntsman. The ensemble also includes Colin Michael Carmichael in a yet-to-be-disclosed role, adding an element of intrigue to the cast. Additionally, the beloved character Grumpy will be brought to life by Martin Klebba, promising a diverse and talented ensemble that will undoubtedly contribute to the magic of this classic fairy tale on the big screen.
More on The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes premiered in Berlin, Germany, on November 5, 2023. The film was subsequently released in the United States on November 17, 2023, by Lionsgate. Garnering $112.6 million globally so far, the film has generally received positive reviews from critics.
Viola Davis is Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker of the 10th Hunger Games, and Peter Dinklage portrays Casca Highbottom, the Dean of the Academy and intellectual author of the Hunger Games. Jason Schwartzman is Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, the first television host for the 10th Hunger Games. Hunter Schafer plays Tigris Snow, Coriolanus’s older cousin and confidante, who advises him in everything.
The supporting cast includes Rosa Gotzler as young Tigris, Fionnula Flanagan as Grandma’am, Burn Gorman as Commander Hoff, Ashley Liao as Clemensia Dovecote, Max Raphael as Festus Creed, Zoe Renee as Lysistrata Vickers, Aamer Husain as Felix Ravinstill, Sofia Sanchez as Wovey, Lilly Cooper as Arachne Crane, Nick Benson as Jessup, Isobel Jesper Jones as Mayfair Lipp, and George Somner as Spruce, contributing to the intricate narrative of the film