Disney's reinterpretation of Snow White did not turn out quite as they had imagined. It quickly became one of Hollywood's most controversial films, with much of the discussion centring on lead actress Rachel Zegler.
In a recent interview, Zegler talks about the reactions from strangers on the internet and how intense it all became at times. Zegler, who made her breakthrough in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, says she found the whole debate both strange and contradictory. The criticism came from all sides. Zegler says:
"I was told I wasn't enough of one thing for West Side Story and too much of another for Snow White. It was really confusing."
Despite the controversy, however, Zegler does not seem particularly eager to apologise for who she is or what she thinks. On the contrary, she says that her values are part of her identity and that she has no intention of changing them just to please certain critics.
"I refuse to assimilate for anybody else's comfort. I've said what I feel, and that will always be a testament to my core beliefs as a human being."
Snow White, directed by Marc Webb and starring Gal Gadot as the evil queen, became a symbol of the modern Disney debate even before its premiere: how much should classic fairy tales be changed when they are dusted off for a new audience? In the end, however, the film was a major financial failure for Disney, reportedly costing the company around $170 million.