Rachel Zegler should be on top of the world right now. Fresh off her West Side Story Oscar win and starring in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the 22-year-old actress is Hollywood’s newest “it” girl. But behind the glittering accolades, whispers suggest Disney—the studio that handed her the keys to its live-action Snow White kingdom—might be sweating over their golden goose.
Zegler’s meteoric rise took a sharp turn last year when clips of her critiquing the original 1937 Snow White as “outdated” went viral. While promoting the remake, she quipped that her version of the princess would be less “obsessed with romance” and more “a leader.” Traditional Disney fans erupted, accusing her of disrespecting the classic. Memes flooded TikTok, Twitter debates raged, and suddenly, Zegler’s name was tied to controversy instead of fairy-tale magic.
Disney, of course, bet big on Ziegler. Casting her as Snow White was a strategic move to modernize the franchise, mirroring successes like Frozen’s empowered heroines. But insiders claim the studio underestimated her candid persona. “Rachel’s unapologetically bold, which works for Gen Z, but older fans aren’t buying it,” says a PR insider. “Disney wanted a princess, but they got a provocateur.”
Fans are split. Supporters praise her for challenging dated tropes: “Finally, a Snow White with a backbone!” tweeted one fan. Critics, though, argue she’s alienating Disney’s core audience. “Why trash the original if you’re rebooting it?” commented a TikTok user. The divide has left Disney scrambling to pivot marketing strategies ahead of the film’s 2024 release.
Meanwhile, Zegler’s career shows no signs of slowing. She’s dominating headlines with her Hunger Games press tour and just landed a role in Marvel’s Spider-Verse sequel. But the real question is: Can Disney salvage Snow White’s box office dreams, or will Zegler’s star power outshine the studio’s vision?
As one industry strategist put it: “Rachel’s winning—but not everyone’s clapping.”
Snow White hits theaters on March 22, 2025. Let the (culture) wars begin.