Disney’s live-actionSnow Whiteremake has now been banned in one country, a new report reveals. Directed by Marc Webb, the remake of Disney’s 1937 animated classic features Rachel Zegler taking on the role of the titular character, a princess who joins forces with seven dwarfs to save her kingdom from the Evil Queen, a role played by Gal Gadot.Snow Whitehas been mired in controversysince before it was even released in theaters on March 21, and it was met with mixed reviews from critics and a muted response at the box office.
Varietynow reports thatSnow Whitehas been banned from playing in theaters in Lebanon. The decision came from Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar, with Gadot, who is Israeli, said to be the primary reason. Local media reports that the country’s film and media watchdog prompted Al-Hajjar to ban the film due to the civilian deaths that have resulted from Israel’s ongoing attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A representative for Italia Films, a Beirut-based Middle East distributor, suggests thatthe decision stems from Gadot reportedly being on Lebanon’s “Israel boycott list"due to her outspoken support of Israel in the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict. No Gadot film, the representative notes, has ever been released in Lebanon for this reason. This same representative confirms thatSnow Whitehas not been banned in Kuwait, as has previously been reported.
What This Means For Snow White
The Film’s Banning In Lebanon Is The Latest In A Long Line Of Controversies
Gadot has been outspoken in her support of Israel since the October 7 attacks by Hamas. She recently brought the issue up during a speech on March 4 at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual summit in New York City, saying: “Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States, and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying and cheering on a massacre of Jews," per the sameVarietyreport above. It hasn’t been Gadot, however, who has been the main source of controversy surrounding the movie.
Snow Whitefound itself in hot water over remarks from Zegler months before the movie was released, in whichthe star celebrated how the film updates certain outdated female character tropes, making the titular Disney princess more active and independent. Zegler’s comments added fuel to an existing fire, with her casting – and Disney and Webb’s broader inclusive approach to the entireSnow Whitecast– becoming the target of a racist backlash, with the Zegler backlash, specifically, a result of her Latin heritage.
With an estimated budget of around $250 million, the film has only grossed $182 million worldwide, as of writing, meaning it’s on track to lose millions for Disney.
As for how the film has actually performed, it’s been a fairly major disappointment.Snow Whitereviewsresulted in a lackluster 40% score onRotten Tomatoesfrom critics. Though the movie has a stronger 72% audience score, this hasn’t helped it succeed at the box office. With an estimated budget of around $250 million, the film has only grossed $182 million worldwide as of writing, meaning it’s on track to lose millions for Disney.
Our Take On Snow White Being Banned In Lebanon
The Live-Action Remakes Are In A Tough Spot
ThoughSnow Whiteplaying in Lebanon likely would not have had a major impact on its commercial performance, it is the latest blow to a film that has not had a smooth theatrical rollout.The Disney live-action remakes, in general, continue to face criticism for being cash-grabs due to their lack of artistic risk, but the situation with this latest release suggests that trying to update or evolve the original story comes with its own problems.
Lilo & Stitchis the next Disney live-action remakeslated to release in theaters, with a date set for May 23.
It’s not clear how theSnow Whitesituation will impact Disney’s long-term approach when it comes to live-action remakes, but it will be interesting to see whether opinions on the film change years down the road when the controversies have died down.
