"Snow White" remake has become an arena for new cultural wars: Disney is once again at the center of controversy
Kyiv • UNN
The movie "Snow White" has found itself at the center of scandals due to racial issues and actors' support for various political positions. Disney has restricted media access and changed the premiere location.
This week, the long-awaited remake of Walt Disney's classic 1937 cartoon "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" opens in cinemas, but the film has already found itself at the center of numerous controversies, once again drawing attention to cultural ideological wars. This is reported by the Financial Times, writes UNN.
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As reported, "Snow White" actress Rachel Zegler has faced online attacks from people who claimed her Colombian background made her unsuitable for the role. She has been criticised for saying the original film was outdated and later for online posts about US President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Moreover, her support for Palestine in the context of the conflict with Israel, where another actress in the film, Gal Gadot, publicly supports Israel, has added to the tension surrounding the film.
Due to these controversies, Disney was forced to restrict media access to the film's stars at the premiere, as well as change the locations for distribution in Europe, choosing northern Spain instead of Leicester Square in London.
According to reports, such disagreements have probably undermined the box office of "Snow White", which is estimated to have cost $270 million to produce.
"Earlier forecasts for the first weekend were much higher, but now they have fallen to $45-50 million in the US and perhaps $100 million worldwide for the debut," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
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Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, who returned to the company in 2022 after a brief hiatus, is trying to reduce the political risks to the brand. He spoke out against political attacks on the film, saying that "Disney will not change its position because of criticism arising from cultural wars". He also stressed that the company's main task is to create entertainment, not to impose social or political messages.
This situation has gained even greater relevance due to previous scandals involving other Disney projects, including the remake of "The Little Mermaid", where black actress Halle Bailey played the role of Ariel. This sparked a wave of racist comments and outrage among some fans who were unhappy with the change in the racial background of the classic character.
In addition, actor Peter Dinklage, who suffers from a form of dwarfism, has criticised the use of traditional dwarfs in the plot. According to him, even with diversity among the actors, the film still retains stereotypes about dwarf characters.
