The live-action Snow White hits theaters March 21, but the movie's already started plenty of conversations. Actress Rachel Zegler went viral for her comments at the 2022 D23 convention, where she said the original cartoon was dated — and that their version of the iconic character "is not going to be saved by the prince, and she's not going to be dreaming about true love," as she toldVariety.
"She’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true," she continues. Okay, I totally understand where she's coming from, but the internet responded with an insane amount of backlash, calling the new project "toxic" and even sending Rachel death threats. Um, definitely not cool. Well, after clarifying she was never asking viewers to choose between leadership and romance, Rachel Zegler finally just spoke on all the drama.
Here's what Rachel Zegler had to say about all the live-action Snow White drama.
Rachel Zegler calls 'Snow White' an "honor."
In an interview with Vogue Mexico, Rachel Zegler opened up about Disney's live-action Snow White, and all the controversy following that initial 2022 interview. “I interpret people’s feelings about this film as passion for it and what an honor to be able to be a part of something that people are so passionate about," she says. "We’re not always going to have the same feelings as everyone around us and all we can do is give our best.”
“It’s really important for audiences to know that Disney has found this beautiful, delicate balance between taking the animated classic that everyone knows and loves from 1937, and at the same time introducing it to this new generation,” she continues. “Her superpower is her heart, there’s no supernatural power that Snow White possesses beyond her love for humanity, for all living creatures and her fundamental belief that there’s goodness in everything, that’s something I really think the world could use more of."
Good is exactly the word I would use to describe Rachel's past characters; every single one is kind, loving, and empathetic — and dreams that the world can be a better place. Snow White is a fitting next step in her filmography.
Rachel Zegler points out how the princess she resonated with as a child was Belle because “she had brown hair and it was hard to find someone who looked like us in these types of movies."
She's hoping this iteration of Snow White will open up a whole new world (oops, wrong movie) for girls who don't often see themselves in leading roles. “Now I see what a beautiful experience it was for little Black girls around the world to see Halle [Bailey] play Ariel in The Little Mermaid,” she says.
“I hope that through my own narrative in my films, I can also show the world what I believe in. The fact that West Side Story was my first film project and that it was a story about migration from Puerto Rico to New York, I think that was a statement of intent more than anything else,” she continues, adding she wants to “do everything I can to work with more women, because I think it makes an incredible difference in film production.”
This princess's future is bright and I can't wait to see what comes next.
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