Disney Cuts Rachel Zegler’s Screentime Amid Snow White Backlash: What’s Going On?

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As Disney’s live-action Snow White remake with Rachel Zegler, set to premiere on March 21, moves ever closer, an analysis by Vash Sky from That Park Place shows that the studio is noticeably decreasing the visibility of lead actress Rachel Zegler in promotional content.

An analysis between the trailers released on December 3rd and Valentine’s Day reveals that Halle Bailey’s screen time has significantly reduced, which seems like a strategic adjustment by Disney in light of the intense criticism faced by the movie’s controversial lead actor.

In the December trailer lasting 2 minutes and 24 seconds, Zegler appeared for approximately half (47.22%) of the entire duration. However, in the latest February trailer, which is only 60 seconds long, her screen time decreased dramatically to just around a third (28.33%). This represents a significant reduction of about 50% in her on-screen presence. This could suggest that Disney might be trying to minimize Zegler’s role in their marketing efforts after several months of controversy and criticism.

From its inception, the movie has encountered persistent criticism, a large portion of which was aimed at Zegler personally. Her comments dismissing the 1937 animated classic as outdated and misogynistic upset many Disney enthusiasts. Additionally, Zegler’s political statements, particularly her controversial remarks about Donald Trump and his supporters, have further fueled the negative response.

She stated, soon after the election results, something along the lines of ‘I wish neither Trump supporters, Trump voters, nor Trump himself would ever experience tranquility.’ This comment sparked a significant controversy, leading her to issue an apology that raised some doubts.

The overwhelmingly negative reactions towards the movie have clearly impacted its promotional content. For instance, the initial teaser trailer for Snow White on YouTube garnered 1.5 million dislikes versus only 101,000 likes. Similarly, the official December trailer had 9.3 million views but was burdened with 1.2 million dislikes. Even the Christmas Day sneak peek, showcasing Zegler’s original song “Waiting on a Wish,” managed just 296,000 views and 50,000 dislikes, making it the least popular promotional piece for the film.

Amidst the ongoing debate, Disney’s approach towards the Seven Dwarfs has sparked further discussion. Originally, they selected a multicultural cast of non-dwarf actors, supposedly due to Peter Dinklage’s critique, which led to criticism and eventually led Disney to switch to CGI dwarfs. These digital dwarfs have faced criticism for their subpar visual effects. The film’s repeated reshoots have significantly increased its budget to a projected $300 million, while forecasts predict a relatively low opening weekend of $63-$70 million for Snow White, suggesting a challenging financial future for the production.

Rachel Zegler’s decreased visibility in trailers might be Disney’s strategy to lessen more criticism, but the harm could have been inflicted already. With overwhelmingly negative ratings, increasing viewer indifference, and escalating production costs, it seems that Snow White is on course for a disastrous box office performance – one which may not be reversed by reducing screen time for its contentious lead actress.

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2025-02-17 23:56