Rachel Zegler, the 22 year old actress set to play Snow White in Disney's upcoming live-action remake, has sparked a debate with her comments about the character's portrayal in the film.
In a number of now-viral clips, Rachel shared insights into her take on Snow White and how it will diverge from the original 1937 animated film.
In a departure from the traditional damsel-in-distress narrative, Rachel's Snow White will be portrayed as a strong leader rather than someone in need of rescue.
Rachel expressed this perspective in an interview with Variety last year, where she emphasised that the modern retelling of the story would not focus on Snow White being saved by a prince or dreaming of true love.
Instead, the character is depicted as aspiring to fulfil her potential as a leader and follow in the footsteps of her late father's teachings.
Rachel explained: "It’s no longer 1937. We absolutely wrote a Snow White that is not gonna be saved by the prince.
She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be — the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true."
In subsequent interviews, Rachel reiterated this perspective, emphasising that the film aims to offer a fresh perspective on the beloved character. She discussed her own apprehension toward the original animated film, admitting that she watched it only once due to being scared of it as a child.
Rachels portrayal of Snow White seeks to redefine the character for a modern audience and steer away from the traditional narrative tropes that have been criticized for perpetuating outdated gender roles.
Rachel also addressed the character of the Prince in the film, jokingly referring to him as a "stalker" and suggesting that the remake will take a different approach to their relationship.
Since Rachel's comments have emerged, they have ignited discussions across social media platforms.
Some have praised the fresh perspective on Snow White's character, applauding the decision to emphasise her leadership qualities over a romantic narrative.
Others, however, have expressed scepticism about changing a classic story and questioned the decision to remove certain elements from the original narrative.
In a viral TikTok with 1.6 million likes, one person explained: “"It is not anti-feminist to want to fall in love, to want to get married, to want to stay at home, to be soft, to want to be a homemaker. None of these things makes you less valuable as a person or a woman."
In another, someone added: “You're right, it's no longer 1937, and you know what else women no longer have to do? Choose between a career or love, we can have both."
However, another person tweeted in Rachel’s defence: ““She made one comment about how Snow White has ambitions of her own that has nothing to do with romance, and suddenly everyone decided that women being damsels in distress is [feminist], actually.”
A second noted: “"Robert Pattison is always hating on Twilight and Edward [Cullen] but everyone loves him for that.”
Disney's live-action remake of Snow White is set to be released in March 2024, and it remains to be seen how audiences will react to this updated take on the iconic fairy tale.
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