There’s something very familiar about the advance “backlash” to the live-action Snow White movie. If anything, it feels like several organized hate campaigns have joined forces to harm this film: the misogynists who never want to see women in lead roles; the racists who are salty about a Latina playing Snow White; and the people who have extremely strong feelings about Israel and Israeli actors. The thing I hate the most is that the film looks and sounds like trash, but I feel the need to defend the movie and the actors because there are so many despicable people making moves against them.
The film stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White, and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, and reportedly, the two women did not and do not get along whatsoever. Disney was also worried about organized protests at the premiere this weekend, so the premiere basically excluded 90% of the press and it was extremely closed off to the public. Just before the premiere, Page Six published an absolutely unhinged interview with the son of Disney animator David Hand (who worked on the animated Snow White). The son was practically foaming at the mouth as he trashed “woke” Rachel Zegler and wokeification of Snow White (which wasn’t even Zegler’s call, you know?). I wondered how far this would go, and then People Magazine published this piece ahead of the premiere too, all about how Gadot and Zegler really did not get along.
Tensions surrounding Disney’s Snow White remake may extend to stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, according to sources. While noting that Zegler is 23, a source tells PEOPLE that the actress “has nothing in common with Gal Gadot, a mom of four kids.”
“On top of that, their political views differ, adding to the tension,” continues the source.
Reps for Zegler and Gadot did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Tensions have plagued Disney’s live-action remake of the 1937 animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs well ahead of its March 21 theatrical release. Zegler and Gadot have appeared at multiple events in the past to promote their long-delayed film, including at Disney’s D23 Expo in 2022 and at the recent Academy Awards, where they took the stage to present the best visual effects category together. The Wonder Woman star did not attend Snow White’s European premiere in Spain on March 12. A source familiar with the situation told PEOPLE Gadot was “never supposed to be in Spain” and was instead doing press in New York.
“This isn’t like a ‘stay away from me’ situation,” the source said of the stars’ dynamic. “They were at the Oscars together. They’ll be together this weekend.”
A third source also pointed out that the two costars “have a huge age gap and very different political views.” (The Israeli-born Gadot, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, has advocated for the release of Israeli hostages, while Zegler has voiced support on social media for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.)
“Gal is annoyed by the movie drama,” the third source tells PEOPLE. “She enjoyed filming. She was fine with Rachel but they are not friends. They have nothing in common… They did a job together and that’s it.”
According to the second source, Gadot doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Zegler when it comes to such comments. “Gal’s attitude is that you don’t criticize and cause drama for a project you signed on to do. She just doesn’t get it.”
“She was fine with Rachel but they are not friends. They have nothing in common… They did a job together and that’s it.” Yeah, given that Disney sent the two women out to present together at the Oscars, it’s clear that Gal and Rachel are fine with doing the bare minimum to pose together and promote this together. It’s not going to be like the Wicked promotion, where Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande clearly adored each other 24-7. This is “sure, I will pose for a couple of photos with my costar and that’s it.” I also wonder if Disney would prefer that people talk about a Gadot-vs-Zegler beef rather than the actual film, you know?
Fashion notes from the premiere: Gal wore Chloe, Rachel wore Dior. I like Rachel’s dress and I find it very “Disney princess.” Gal was sort of theme-dressing too.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Cover Images.
-
- World premiere of Disney’s ‘Snow White’ at El Capitan Theatre Featuring: Rachel Zegler Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 14 Mar 2025 Credit: Dave Starbuck/Dave Starbuck/Future Image/Cover Images **NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN GERMANY**
-
- World premiere of Disney’s ‘Snow White’ at El Capitan Theatre Featuring: Rachel Zegler Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 14 Mar 2025 Credit: Dave Starbuck/Dave Starbuck/Future Image/Cover Images **NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN GERMANY**
-
- World premiere of Disney’s ‘Snow White’ at El Capitan Theatre Featuring: Gal Gadot Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 14 Mar 2025 Credit: Dave Starbuck/Dave Starbuck/Future Image/Cover Images **NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN GERMANY**
-
- World premiere of Disney’s ‘Snow White’ at El Capitan Theatre Featuring: Gal Gadot Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 14 Mar 2025 Credit: Dave Starbuck/Dave Starbuck/Future Image/Cover Images **NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN GERMANY**
They do this to major actresses starring together all the time, expecting either closeness or drama while it’s perfectly acceptable for men to just do their jobs and go home. Not everyone you work with is your friend. Anyway, while there’s backlash against this film it’s from trolls for the wrong reasons so whatever.
Here’s my question. Isn’t this still supposed to be a children’s movie? If so then why are all the adults bitching about it? It’s not for them. Does Rachael look like how Snow White is described. Then who cares what her background is. Does the movie address the Palestine/Israel war? No it doesn’t so it doesn’t have anything to do with the movie. It’s a kids movie that is supposed to entertain the kids for a couple of hours. It’s not supposed to create world peace. Or satisfy everyone. It’s just a movie.
I like Rachel’s dress but think a brighter color would’ve worked for her skin tone too. But Gal’s dress reads as an odd choice for a kids’ movie. More or less see through top and the bottom looks like a lace broom to me.
They are both lovely women but it also drives me crazy that they’re out there in these dresses and guys just throw on something from the closet with their tennis shoes or Cole Hahns or whatever and that’s enough. Obviously they’re the leads, but it reminds me of all these women you see out in bars dressed to the hilt while their husbands can’t be bothered with anything more than Dockers.
Gal Gadot has four children?! Today I learned. She’s really picking up the slack for the rest of us, good on her.
The manufactured girl-on-girl drama is tiresome, but I not as tiresome as these live action remakes. They’re devoid of creativity. Beauty and the Beast wasn’t so terrible but the rest have been flat.
I’m rooting for Rachel. She has been through it in her young career already she had to deal with her costars disgusting sexual assault allegations while promoting Westside Story. Constantly being harassed, specifically because she’s Hispanic and believes in equality and inclusion for all people.
Sending her all so much positive energy.
I’m actually really sad seeing her getting the brunt of the made-up backlash, the treatment of Gal Gadot has been completely different.
DM headlines all weekend called it a ‘woke premier’. What does that even mean? The use of woke needed to end in 2024.
For some reason, this movie in particular was singled out by incels and bigots as a target for their “anti-woke” attacks. They are a disturbingly large number of these vicious haters. It’s one of the reasons Oppenheimer did so well – that was a good movie and deserved to be seen but was not blockbuster material, except incels chose to buy Oppenheimer tickets just to try to make Barbie look less of a hit. If you ever read these creeps on social media, you would be very alarmed at how many there are, and how much hate they have towards women.
I was surprised to see that in some pre-release news that seemed to make headlines, the reception to the film seemed to be very positive! I don’t have a dog in the fight and only mention that because I want to see movies with women leads that are besieged by review bombing-incels succeed.