Rachel Zegler puts Snow White backlash down to fans' 'passion'
'Snow White' star Rachel Zegler believes the backlash about the movie is because fans are so "passionate", and she is "honoured" to be part of a project which has such enthusiastic supporters.
Rachel Zegler believes the backlash about her upcoming 'Snow White' appearance is down to fans' "passion".
The 23-year-old star was confirmed to portray the titular character in Disney's upcoming live-action adaptation of the 1937 original movie in 2021, but some were outraged due to the actress' Colombian descent.
Zegler later sparked controversy by calling the original film, which features a prince who "literally stalks" the princess, "extremely dated", while hinting at an overhaul of the plot.
However, the star feels "honoured" to be part of a project which has such enthusiastic supporters.
She told Vogue Mexico: "I interpret people’s sentiments towards this film as passion.
"What an honour to be a part of something that people feel so passionately about."
Zegler has vowed to do her "best" in the movie, which is released on March 21st.
She said: "We’re not always going to agree with everyone who surrounds us and all we can do is our best."
Speaking about the backlash to her heritage, Zegler - whose mother is of Colombian descent - said: "I understand that the conversation comes from the community not wanting to be seen as a monolith, but the reality of being Latino and working in this industry is that we try to represent the entire diaspora.
"I know where I’ve been, I represent it in my narrative, and I carry it in my heart every day.
"No one can ever tell me that it’s not a part of me."
Zegler's comments come after David Hand, whose father of the same name worked with Walt Disney to create the beloved 1937 animated movie, slammed the company's "woke" live-action remake of the film and claimed it is "insulting" to the original picture.
Hand, who worked as a designer for Disney during the 1990s, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "I mean, it's a whole different concept, and I just totally disagree with it, and I know my dad and Walt would also very much disagree with it.
"I think it's pathetic that people feel that way... these are art forms in the world of film today.
"I'm afraid of what they're going to do with the early films... their thoughts are just so radical now.
"They change the stories, they change the thought processes of the characters, they just aren't the original stories anymore. They're making up new woke things and I'm just not into any of that.
"I find it quite frankly a bit insulting that they may have done with some of these classic films.
"There's no respect for what Disney did and what my dad did... I think Walt and he would be turning in their graves."
