Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most controversial of them all?
As the release of the new live-action “Snow White” approaches, Gal Gadot, 39, is asking fans to give her musical movie a chance despite the yearslong scrutiny.
When asked by a TMZ reporter on Tuesday if people should watch “Snow White,” the actress, who plays the Evil Queen, responded, “Of course — it’s a great movie.”
Because of the chatter over the film, out March 21, Disney has reportedly opted for a low-key premiere instead of the usual media-packed red carpet.
The event on March 15 will now be limited to photographers and an in-house crew, according to Variety.
The project caused quite a stir from the start, as it was leaked that Disney was getting rid of the dwarf characters. The film giant responded by stating they were taking a “different approach” to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes” from the 1937 film.
Fans shared their grievances online, calling the company too “politically correct” and “woke,” along with sharing their issue that Zegler, 23, a Latina actress, was cast as the lead.
“Game of Thrones” actor Peter Dinklage, who has dwarfism, also voiced his concerns.
“Literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback [when] they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, but you’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’” the actor, 55, said on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast in 2022.
“You’re progressive in one way but then you’re still making that f–king backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together,” Dinklage continued. “What the f–k are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough.”
Disney later decided to replace the fairy tale’s seven dwarfs with CGI.
Zegler, who plays Snow White, also called out 1930s animator David Hand’s work, labeling it “extremely dated.”
In a clip from the Disney D23 Expo in 2022, the actress shared that their rendition of the fairy tale would be more modern than the original.
“She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true,” Zegeler said, which outraged fans.
She addressed the public’s concerns in an interview with Vogue Mexico in February.
“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,” Zegler told the outlet. “We’re not always going to have the same feelings as everyone around us and all we can do is give our best.”
However, Disney’s leading lady has continued to receive backlash after she went on a social media rant against those who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
“I find myself speechless in the midst of this. another four years of hatred, leaning us towards a world i do not want to live in,” Zegler wrote on her Instagram Story at the time.
“I shouldn’t be this shocked. but i am. i am heartbroken for my friends who awoke [in] fear this morning. and i am here with you. to cry, to yell, to hug. to wax poetic on how the left continues to fail us in forging a new path forward. this loss should not have been. and it certainly should not have been by so many votes.”
In a second post, the “West Side Story” star said there is a “deep, deep sickness” in the United States due to how many people voted for a “man who threatens our democracy.”
Following her comments, some of Trump’s supporters stated they would boycott the project.
“I hope you get no peace when this film BOMBS at the box office and streaming,” one person wrote on social media.
Both Zegler and Gadot have also been passionate about the ongoing war in Gaza — but for different reasons.
Zegler decided to write “free Palestine” on X after the first “Snow White” trailer was released online.
The “Wonder Woman” alum, who is Israeli, also spoke out online, writing after the Oct. 7 attacks, “My heart breaks. My country is at war. I worry for my family, my friends. I worry for my people.”
“This is a vicious cycle that has been going on far too long. Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation,” Gadot continued. “Our neighbours deserve the same. I pray for the victims and their families, I pray for this unimaginable hostility to end, I pray for our leaders to find the solution so that we could live side by side in peace. I pray for better days.”
