As Backlash Against Rachel Zegler Continues, Entertainment Tonight Accused Of Running Damage Control For The Snow White Actress
John F. Trent
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Media outlet Entertainment Tonight was accused of running damage control for upcoming Snow White actress Rachel Zegler after the actress has been repeatedly criticized for her comments surrounding the film.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 09: (L-R) Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot attend D23 Expo 2022 at Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on September 09, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
During the film’s promotion last September at the D23 Expo, Zegler made numerous comments that the upcoming Disney film will be nothing like the original animated film. Not only did she confirm it will be nothing like the original animated film, but she also disparaged it.
She told Extra TV, “The original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. Weird. So we didn’t do that this time.”
When asked if the prince would even be in the film, Zegler answered, “We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because like we cast a guy in the movie, Andrew Burnap, great dude.”
She continued, “It’s one of those things that I think everyone’s going to have their assumptions about what it’s actually going to be, but it’s really not about the love story at all, which is really, really wonderful. And whether or not she finds love along the way is anybody’s guess until 2024. All of Andrew’s scenes could get. Who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby!”
Zegler then revealed what the film is really about, “It’s an inner journey that she goes on to find her true self. And she meets a lot of people along the way that make the journey really incredible.”
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 09: (L-R) Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler speak onstage D23 Expo 2022 at Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on September 09, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
She made similar comments to Variety when asked why she described the movie as having a “modern edge.” She said, “I just mean it’s no longer 1937, and we absolutely wrote a Snow White–”
Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen in the upcoming live-action adaptation, interjected, “–She’s not gonna be saved by the prince.”
Zegler then affirmed, “She’s not gonna be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.”
Zegler elaborated, “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, brave, and true.”
“And so it’s just a really incredible story for, I think, young people everywhere to see themselves in,” she concluded.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 09: Rachel Zegler attends D23 Expo 2022 at Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on September 09, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Zegler also revealed that the film is also changing the definition of “fair” for the film. The original animated film made it clear the term referred to beauty and was providing a lesson vanity.
This will no longer be the definition for Zegler’s live-action movie.
She explained, “The reality is that the cartoon was made 85 years ago and therefore it’s extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power and what a woman is fit for in the world. And so when we came to reimagining the actual role of Snow White it became about the fairest of them all meaning who is the most just. And who can become a fantastic leader.”
Zegler continued, “And the reality is, you know, Snow White has to learn a lot of lessons about coming into her own power before she can come into power over a kingdom.”
Gadot added, “Also the fact that she’s not going to be saved by The Prince and she’s the proactive one and she’s the one who set the terms is what makes it so relevant to where we are today.”
Rachel Zegler as Maria and Ansel Elgort as Tony in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY. Photo by Niko Tavernise. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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While Zegler repeatedly claimed that the original 1937 animated film was dated, she revealed to Entertainment Weekly she hadn’t seen it since she was a child before being cast for the movie, “I was scared of the original cartoon. I think I watched it once and I never picked it up again.”
“I’m being so serious. I watched it once and then I went on the ride in Disney World which was called Snow White’s Scary Adventures — doesn’t sound like something a little kid would like — was terrified of it. Never revisited Snow White again.”
She then said, “So I watched it for the first time in probably 16, 17 years when I was doing this film.”
The Prince kisses Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Disney
These comments have lead to widespread backlash against the actress. So much so that a number of branding experts informed The Daily Mail that Zegler should not even be promoting the film.
Nick Edge told the outlet, “Rachel is a big-named star playing one of the world’s most famous fairytale characters immortalized by Disney, but instead of taking the lead of The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey and embracing her role, Rachel has actively chosen to spoil the narrative and express the new direction she has taken Snow White in.”
He added, “I am sure Disney executives must be having crisis talks and thinking perhaps their new Snow White isn’t the best person to promote the film and ensure it is a box office success.”
Rachel Zegler as Maria in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY. Photo by Niko Tavernise © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Carla Speight also told the British outlet, “There was a time when Disney actors were media trained and were thoughtful about the impact of their words, whilst sticking to key messaging about the films, but it seems with this total rewrite of Snow White, picturing her as a ‘boss girl’ has gone to the heads of their stars. Disney will need to be careful with how they have portrayed Snow White and what they do and don’t allow their actors to say about it going forwards.”
She added, “They simply cannot repeat the same mistakes and allow their actors to be so vocal in their own personal opinions during promotions. It can have a huge impact on ticket sales, especially with the amount of negative backlash so early in the promo trail.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 29: (L-R) Ariana DeBose, Steven Spielberg, and Rachel Zegler attend the New York premiere of West Side Story on November 29, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios)
Following the public backlash, Entertainment Tonight shared a video to TikTok featuring clips of Zegler noting how appreciative she was of becoming an actress.
@entertainmenttonight Rachel Zegler’s life changed forever when she landed her first role at just 17 years old. 💙 #rachelzegler #snowwhite ♬ original sound – Entertainment Tonight
YouTuber Ryan Kinel speculated this video is damage control being done by Zegler and possibly Disney to workaround the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike that prevents her from commenting on Walt Disney produced films such as Snow White.
Kinel stated, “We know the actors, they can’t do anything to promote their recent stuff. But Entertainment Tonight out of nowhere with all this Snow White backlash, they post this, ‘Rachel Zegler’s life changed forever when she landed the role at just 17 years old.’ And it’s entire video about her showing how grateful she is to the fans.”
After watching the clip, Kinel added, “This so clearly PR. This is damage control. You want to look for like the apology or what they’re trying– this is it. This is probably directly from Disney. They know that they can’t really do stuff, too much stuff with the actor strike whatever. They wanted to put this out, or maybe her PR team or somebody to try to get a different message across.”
Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino and Rachel Zegler as Maria in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY. Photo by Niko Tavernise. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
However, Kinel asserted, “But it is too little too late. It just simply is. Like the things she said in these multiple interviews… those things are what she said and what she said about the character repeatedly time after time.”
“People do not like it and people do not like Rachel Zegler,” he declared.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Disney
What do you make of this TikTok video from Entertainment Tonight? Do you believe it is a PR move or a form of damage control from Zegler or Disney?
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