Rachel Zegler defends her new Snow White film after media outlets mocked it for being too politically correct. Walt Disney Pictures has established themselves as the monarchs of bringing princesses to reality on screen, which comes with the duty of presenting them positively. The Disney Princess line debuted in 2000 with the goal of providing young girls with a variety of role models to look up to. Since since, consumers have considered the franchise as highly contentious. While some see it as Disney celebrating their lengthy history and introducing younger fans to these timeless characters, others see it as just a cash grab by the mighty studio.
The Disney Princesses have had a significant rebirth, thanks in large part to Disney’s current tendency of remaking their animation classics as live-action feature films. This resulted in a new objective of being more open-minded. Upcoming films like The Little Mermaid strive to portray a more diverse cast, while the new Snow White picture hopes to rewrite the story for a modern audience. While filming on Snow White is now complete, some continue to criticise the production for attempting to be progressive, especially after a series of major decisions ended in the film changing to be more accessible to present viewers.
Now, it looks like Snow White star Zegler has seen enough of the diverse reactions to the picture. During an interview with Vanity Fair, Zegler speaks out about the “jokes” regarding the film’s new artistic approach. Among the issues she has faced is the fact that she was cast despite being of Colombian origin, resulting in several concerns regarding her skin color, which she describes as “bizarre.” She also addressed the movie’s more “PC” attitude, noting how important it is:
“People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White, where it’s like, yeah, it is—because it needed that. It’s an 85-year-old cartoon, and our version is a refreshing story about a young woman who has a function beyond ‘Someday My Prince Will Come.”
Why Live-Action Snow White Changes Are Beneficial
Zegler makes an excellent point on Snow White’s different direction; whereas the original film will always be remembered as a masterpiece, it is also a product of its period. When people praise the film, the Dwarfs or the Evil Queen are mentioned as notable characters, but Snow White is barely recognized beyond her plot purpose, over which she has little control. When it comes to presenting a positive influence for young girls, Disney’s original princess is frequently regarded as the model for what not to do in today’s animated films, therefore changing the protagonist to reflect the times is vitally necessary.
Furthermore, Zegler’s casting as Snow White isn’t the only change to this live-action production, according to reports. Following widespread criticism from Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage criticizing the original’s depiction of Dwarfs, Disney issued a statement claiming to have taken a radically different approach to the seven dwarves who, notably, no longer appear beside Snow White in the title. While it remains to be seen whether these alterations are well received, the fact that the Snow White team is at least focused on upgrading the film’s animation forerunner is surely a good thing.
Source: Vanity Fair