She has previously labelled the original Snow White film as ‘weird’ and ‘scary’.
Rachel Zegler has prompted debate online after old comments she made about the original Snow White story resurfaced online.
Zegler is set to play the Disney princess in the upcoming live action remake of the classic fairytale.
In recent days though, clips of the West Side Story star criticising the original 1937 film have been shared online, sparking a backlash against the 22-year-old.
Speaking in an interview in October last year, the Golden Globe-winning actor spoke openly about how she thought the original Snow White was “weird.”
She told ExtraTV: “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.
“We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie.”
Speaking about her co-star Andrew Burnap, who plays male lead Jonathan in the upcoming film, she said: "We have a different approach to what I'm sure a lot of people will assume is a love story.
"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."
She also joked: “All of Andrew’s scenes could get cut, who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby!”
In a separate interview with Variety, the actor said: “We absolutely wrote a Snow White that is not going to be saved by the prince.
“She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.
"She's dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she cane be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true."
And in a chat with Entertainment Weekly alongside Gal Gadot, who will play the Evil Queen in the film, Zegler said she found the original film scary and had only watched it once before she was cast in the remake.
She also labelled the 1937 film “extremely dated when it comes to women being in roles of power and what a woman is fit for in the world.”
"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."
These comments have led to some fans lashing out at Zegler, with some accusing her of “pseudo feminism.”
In a TikTok which has been viewed more than 10 million times, @CosyWithAngie said: “Criticising Disney princesses is not feminist. Not every woman is a leader. Not every woman wants to be a leader. Not every woman wants or craves power and that’s ok.
“Thinking that a woman is any less valuable because she falls in love or because she accepts help from somebody instead of girl-bossing her way through her problems is not feminist.”
Another user said in their own TikTok: “If you hate the original this much, why would you want to make the remake? Pls make it make sense.”
However, some have defended the actor though, with one person writing on X: “The dogpiling on Rachel Zegler is completely unjustified and is online mob mentality.
“All for an interview given over year ago, for a movie whose trailer hasn’t even come out yet. We know these Disney retellings LOVE to shake things up, let’s be for real now!”
Film critic Kayleigh Donaldson also said: “The levels of hate [Zegler] gets online are astonishing. Harassing an actress for being earnest and doing her job is no substitute for a personality.”
Also, a lot of you just need to leave Rachel Zegler alone. The levels of hate she gets online are astonishing. Harassing an actress for being earnest and doing her job is no substitute for a personality.
When it was announced that Zegler had been cast as Snow White, the Latina actor was on the receiving end of racist abuse and trolling online, similar to that which Halle Bailey was subjected to following her casting as the Little Mermaid.
In a Twitter post last month, Zegler wrote: “Extremely appreciative of the love i feel from those defending me online, but please don’t tag me in the nonsensical discourse about my casting. i really, truly do not want to see it.”
extremely appreciative of the love i feel from those defending me online, but please don’t tag me in the nonsensical discourse about my casting.
i really, truly do not want to see it.
so i leave you w these photos! i hope every child knows they can be a princess no matter what pic.twitter.com/AU5PjJutK5
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) July 15, 2023
The new Snow White is due to be released in cinemas in on March 22 next year.
