Rachel Zegler has been cast to play the role of Snow White in Disney's upcoming live-action adaptation. Nevertheless, her recent remarks have sparked controversy.
Aged 22, Zegler is an American actress and singer known for her roles in movies like West Side Story and Shazam!
She's poised to take on her most significant role to date as Snow White, and the film is scheduled to grace our screens in the upcoming year.
Although fans have been eagerly anticipating the forthcoming adaptation, they have been disheartened by Zegler's views on the original movie, which debuted back in 1937.
During an interview with Extra TV, the star of The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes expressed her lack of strong enthusiasm for the original film.
"The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird! So we didn't do that this time," the 22-year-old said in the interview.
Zegler proceeded to label the Prince, who will be portrayed by Andrew Burlap, as a 'stalker' in the original rendition.
"We have a different approach to what I'm sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie," the actress commented."
"All of Andrew's scenes could get cut, who knows? It's Hollywood, baby."
Zegler further elaborated that Snow White's aspirations won't revolve around yearning for true love. Rather, her dreams encompass becoming the capable leader she envisions herself to be, guided by the encouragement her late father provided.
The remarks from the young star have now spread widely across social media, with numerous individuals criticizing Zegler.
One person says: "Every interview she's tearing down the original movie and the characters to the point I DON'T want to see the new one."
Another asks: "Why does dreaming about true love imply you cannot also be strong and powerful?"
"Me personally, if I hated a movie this much I probably wouldn't agree to be the titular role of a remake. But that's just me," a third shares.
Somebody else comments: "I never thought of it as a love story. It's literally a battle of good and evil with a dash of love thrown in."
Nevertheless, there are those who aren't displeased with Zegler's remarks; in fact, many have used social media to come to her defense.
One fan writes: "They bullied Rachel Zegler off social media so let me just say that her Snow White movie is the first Disney live-action remake I'm actually excited to see. You know why? Because of her."
"She has an incredible screen presence, a magnificent voice and seems like a really kind soul."
A second says: "I personally am excited for the new Snow White with Rachel Zegler."
