Rachel Zegler, the lead actress in «Snow White», says that the remake of the 1937 Disney cartoon changed the origin of this name, which is no longer associated with appearance.
According to the actress in a recent interview with Variety, the movie changes the reason why its character was named Snow White. In the original, it was due to the fact that the Disney princess «has skin as white as snow». The remake gives a new interpretation in line with modern trends:
«This [interpretation] went back to another version of «Snow White» that was told in a story where she survived a snowstorm that happened when she was a baby. So the king and queen decided to call her Snow White to remind her of her resilience. One of the key points of our movie for any young woman or young man is to remember how strong you really are».
Remake of an animated movie «Snow White» has been the subject of heated debate since its announcement. Some of the criticism is directed at Zegler herself, as the Latin American actress will play the character with the original story mentioned above. Also criticized online is the attempt to replace the classic fairy tale plot with a story about the leadership of a strong woman and the diminished role of the prince in the story.
Many people did not like the referential use of animated elements in the live-action film: the use of cartoon gnomes instead of live actors of short stature was particularly sensitive. Famous actor Peter Dinklage spoke out against this representation of gnomes, saying that the film fuels harmful stereotypes about people with dwarfism. Some social media users asked why it was necessary to make a movie with live actors if a significant part of it was animated.
The new fact that the origin of Snow White’s name has changed only adds fuel to the debate. It’s also not immediately clear which «other version» of Snow White Zegler is talking about. The 1937 film is based on the 1812 Grimm brothers’ adaptation of the folk tale. There is an assumption that the authors were inspired by historical figures such as the Spanish Countess Margareta von Waldeck from the 16th century.
It is also easy to see that the change in the story refers to the skin color of the original character. But the actress sidesteps this point in her commentary and instead connects the origin of the name to the power of women. You will be able to see how right the critics are in theaters on March 20, 2025. At the very least, it’s worth watching Gal Gadot as the evil queen who, according to the classic story, is supposed to be jealous of the beauty of Snow White played by Zegler.
Sources: Variety, ScreenRant
Spelling error report
The following text will be sent to our editors: