nichesitetool.com

First reactions have landed for Disney’s latest big-budget release Snow White, with the movie being branded one of the studio’s ‘strongest ever’ live-action remakes.

Critics have largely praised leading lady Rachel Zegler as ‘enchanting’, called the film a ‘visual feast’ and so far complimented the screenplay after reports of the traditional fairy tale’s storyline being updated.

But it’s been hard to shake the feeling that Snow White has seemed like a poisoned apple ahead of its fast-approaching release, given the fierce and consistent ‘woke’ backlash its faced.

The film will finally open in cinemas on March 21, after being pushed a full year from its original 2024 slot thanks to the extensive effects of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Disney has raised eyebrows in recent days with its decision not to roll out the red carpet for the movie at a glitzy premiere in London, as would usually be expected, instead opting for a smaller, far less media-focused event in Segovia, Spain on Wednesday night.

The evening’s celebrations had plenty of younger fans in attendance and were held at Alcázar de Segovia in a nod to the 1937 animated original, as it served as the inspiration for the castle featured in Snow White.

And it was largely the same at Saturday’s world premiere in Los Angeles, which also had no regular red carpet media line, in order to prevent its stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot from needing to answer any questions on the fly.

While calling the premiere ‘scaled back’ back not be entirely accurate, The Hollywood Reporter claims that Disney said it chose ‘a more celebratory, family-friendly afternoon event to match the tone and target audience for the film’ – which is, lest we forget, mainly aimed at those young enough to be more interested in the magic than the media frenzy surrounding Snow White.

But this is far from being the first or last headache that this mega-budget Disney ‘reimagining’ has faced on its long and very rocky road to release.

Ever since 2021 it seems that the studio has been forced to confront near-constant criticism and backlash that largely revolves around the culture war of today, which sees a sharp divide over the term ‘woke’ – and whether or not it’s positive to be classified as such.

The sniping about Snow White first began nearly four years ago when West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, was cast as Disney’s original princess, most famous for having ‘skin as white as snow’.

Such ugly complaints echoed those that Halle Bailey faced after being picked to play Ariel in The Little Mermaid, with some fans being left outraged at Disney’s push for more culturally representative storytelling (perish the thought that talent should be an important factor in the decision).

Disney then hit a more tricky obstacle to navigate when Game Of Thrones star Peter Dinklage branded the studio ‘backwards’ for their decision to remake Snow White.

The actor, who has a common form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia,said he was ‘a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White but you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.

‘Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me,’ he added on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast in January 2022.

Dinklage argued Disney was ‘progressive in one way’ and yet still making a ‘backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together’.

Disney rushed to clarify that the film was ‘taking a different approach with these seven characters’ and had been ‘consulting with members of the dwarfism community’ in order to ‘avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film’.

Dinklage undoubtedly had a point given how offensive the film could seem to those in the community, depending on how sensitively Disney opted to handle the dwarfs.

As well as dropping half the film’s original title, director Marc Webb opted to portray the characters using CGI – the depiction of whom was pulled apart when the Seven Dwarfs were first unveiled in the movie’s teaser trailer in August – after erroneous reports that Disney would be using diverse ‘magical creatures’ instead.

Fans acted fast with the one show of disapproval they had, the dislike button, as the trailer attracted more than 1.4million ‘thumbs down’ from its 11million views – and a paltry 102,000 likes in comparison.

This issue was later raised again just ahead of the LA premiere, when dwarf actors expressed their fury over the use of CGI characters, calling Disney’s decision ‘discriminating in a sense’ and claiming it was detrimental to their careers.

‘I think Disney is trying too hard to be politically correct, but in doing so it’s damaging our careers and opportunities,’ bodybuilder and performer Choon Tan, 31, told MailOnline.

‘There really is nothing wrong casting someone with dwarfism as a dwarf in any given opportunity. As long as we are treated equally and with respect, we’re usually more than happy to take on any acting roles that are suitable for us.’ 

So far, so understandable (with the contentious issue of the dwarfs, at least) – but meanwhile the backlash had been intensifying against leading lady Zegler after a series of flippant remarks she made at D23 in 2022, which made it clear she wasn’t a fan of the original story.

The 23-year-old (then 21) drew the ire of some fans by criticising the original film – released nearly 88 years ago, and based on the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm – as ‘dated’.

Zegler characterised the prince in Snow White as a ‘guy who literally stalks her’ in an interview with ExtraTV, calling it ‘weird’ repeatedly, while she also revealed in a separate interview with Variety that Snow White was ‘not going to be dreaming about true love’ anymore and rather ‘about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true’.

It’s true her casual tone was perhaps a misstep, especially when Disney is usually so careful about the reverence with which it treats its animated classics – plus, its fan base is famously highly invested and protective.

The 93-year-old son of one of the 1937 film’s animators and supervising director, David Hand, also reacted sensitively to these remarks, seemingly horrified to hear of what may be sweeping changes to the original plot, telling The Telegraph Disney and his father would be ‘turning in their graves’.

And here’s where we seem to leap into the deep end of the truly baffling, for Zegler’s comments started circulating on social media, with ‘fans’ using them as justification to tear the actress down for her perceived ‘attitude’, alongside Disney, over the storyline changes.

These are storyline changes which we are still, years later, yet to be able to confirm and judge for ourselves by actually watching the movie because it’s not out yet.

But the term ‘woke’ was now firmly being co-opted by the dissatisfied, who directed a lot of their annoyance straight at Zegler, calling for her ‘destruction’ online and slamming her as ‘disgusting and unbecoming’.

Meanwhile she’d also revealed she’d been ‘scared’ by the 1937 animation and (possibly the most heinous crime of all) only watched it once, making her immediately unworthy of her casting in some Disney fans’ eyes.

She also ran into the ‘tradwife’ community online, who took it as a personal insult that Snow White would now be dreaming of something other than being a wife and mother – TikTokkers also told her that ‘criticising Disney princesses is not feminist’ and garnered millions of views and likes while doing so.

So because Zegler and Disney suggested that falling in love was no longer Snow White’s priority, it seemed like manyjumped to assume they were being judged harshly for their own personal choices.

It’s also rather ironic that until this point, Disney was usually being criticised for supposedly pushing old-fashioned ideals within its narratives – but as soon as they made a move against that, the backlash doubled.

Zegler addressed this pretty gracefully with a carefully worded response to the situation (after likely further media training from Disney) in an interview for Vogue Mexico’s March issue.

‘I interpret people’s sentiments towards this film as passion. What an honor to be a part of something that people feel so passionately about. We’re not always going to agree with everyone who surrounds us and all we can do is our best,’ she commented, as the film’s release loomed.

While you’d be forgiven for thinking that we were surely finished cataloguing Snow White’s extensive woes, the release strategy has also been further complicated by politics.

Pro-Palestinian activists have called for a boycott of the movie over Disney’s casting of Israeli actress Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, while others have criticised her casting as the villain.

Wonder Woman star Gadot, who has publicly advocated for Israel over the years, was so far solo and low-key on the Snow White publicity trail other than a co-presenting gig at the Oscars with Zegler, until the LA premiere.

Meanwhile, Zegler made her thoughts clear while directly promoting the film as she thanked fans for their ‘love’ in response to the trailer in the summer, before adding on X: ‘And always remember, free Palestine.’

She had also previously been forced to apologise after declaring that she hoped Trump supporters would ‘never know peace’ following the US President’s election victory in November.

So there you have it – a potted history of all the reasons Snow White has become an unfortunate magnet for controversy as we’ve moved ever closer to its release.

In some ways the film has been a lightning rod for several major issues, and in another it just shows what happens when people get a bee in their bonnet over something and sound off inside the comforting echo chamber of their social media communities.

Critics commenting positively on the film on social media have already been branded ‘Disney shills’ by disgruntled people yet to see the movie and determined to hate it, with rumblings of a review-bombing campaign planned for when the film opens on Friday.

But the furore around Snow White’s release is almost history repeating itself, given Walt Disney famously mortgaged his house to bet on his studio’s first-ever feature length animation with Snow White while naysayers dubbed it ‘Disney’s Folly’ due to the scepticism surrounding it.

As we all now know, he was proven absolutely right, building the most successful animation company in history – and come next week, audiences will finally be able to properly judge the 2025 gamble for themselves.

Snow White releases in cinemas on Friday, March 21.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

A record-breaking horror film described as ‘twisted’ and ‘disturbing’ is finally coming to Amazon Prime Video to enjoy from the comfort of your sofa – if you dare.

Smile 2, released last year, was Parker Finn’s horrifying follow-up to box office smash hit Smile which hit cinemas in 2022.

The first film’s intensely terrifying viral marketing campaign meant all eyes were on the supernatural thriller when it came to the big screen, with Smile garnering a whopping $138.1 million (£101.2 million) worldwide at the box office.

Its sequel followed the events of the first film and told the story of global pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) as she is about to embark on her comeback world tour.

But after she witnesses the death of drug dealer Lewis Fregoli, Skye is taunted by a sinister grinning entity which can manifest as anyone and anything – including figures from Skye’s past.

Smile 2 achieved similar success to its predecessor, becoming the biggest Paramount horror opening in 13 markets worldwide including Italy and Spain.

It was also the biggest horror opening of 2024 in 13 markets, including France, Germany, and Italy (per Deadline).

If you missed the film in cinemas, you’re in luck, as Smile 2 arrives on Amazon Prime Video on April 14 via Paramount+.

The horror sequel currently holds an 86% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 81% from general audiences.

The critics’ consensus reads: ‘Blessed with a nerve-jangling star turn by Naomi Scott, writer-director Parker Finn broadens Smile’s conceit into a pop stardom nightmare that’ll leave a rictus grin on horror fans’ faces.’

Meanwhile, the audience says: ‘Taking the initial premise to horrifying new levels of twisted, Smile 2 installs Naomi Scott as a scream queen and cements a beaming franchise.’

In their review, the Observer said: ‘The special effects are bracingly revolting, the malevolent smiles as creepy as ever. And the film has the added bonus of some killer choreography, in every sense of the word.’

FilmWeek went as far as to say the sequel was ‘better than the original’ while The Sun wrote: ‘Director Parker Finn pulls no punches in this nightmare-fuelled sequel, taking us on a ride that’s even more intense and disturbing.’

Many praised Aladdin star Naomi Scott in the film, with RogerEbert.com saying: ‘Yes, there are a few too many jump scares and at least one too many twists, but it’s all forgivable when you think of the true terror in Naomi Scott’s eyes.’

‘The film finds dark humor in taking these desperate feelings of unease and feeding them to a kaleidoscopic creature of pain and viscera,’ AV Club summarised.

Time Out added: ‘It’s tamer than its deeply unsettling predecessor, but still unhinged enough to keep you nicely on edge.’

A third film is reportedly set to begin filming this year with Finn returning to direct.

The director is also set to helm a remake of classic 1981 film Possession, with Robert Pattinson attached.

Smile 2 comes to Amazon Prime Video on April 14

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Rachel Zegler has been praised by fans after she had a quick response to criticism for being cast in Snow White.

The actress, 23, is the new star of the Disney live-action remake of the film Snow White – which has already proved to be controversial.

Ahead of the film’s release on March 21, the actress was promoting the film in Spain with a live rendition of a song from the film’s soundtrack.

In the video posted on Instagram, Rachel wore a stunning white embroidered gown as she belted out the lyrics in front of a stunning castle backdrop.

But not all fans were impressed, with one taking to the comment section to criticise Rachel’s role in the film.

‘NO thanks. Disney wasn’t so difficult to cast a soprano ???’ said au_dela_de_la_poudre_ on social media.

Not one to back down from criticism, Rachel took the opportunity to promote her work with a fun response: ‘@‌au_dela_de_la_poudre_ i am a soprano! west side story is now streaming on disney+! ❤️🍎’

The comment from Rachel received over 8.5k likes as fans praised the star for her response and for taking the criticism on the chin.

‘@rachelzegler YES BABY YOU TELL THEM ❤️’ said haleyferrer on Instagram

‘@rachelzegler you tell em girl,’ said _phikka_.

‘@rachelzegler I love you Rachel you are my perfect Snow White ❤️❤️❤️ People are ignorant, they don’t want to see a star shine, but you will dazzle them,’ jesusurb2.

‘@rachelzegler CLOCK EMMMM,’ said cristinaistrying.

When the first teaser trailer dropped in August 2024, it sparked more than 1.4 million dislikes from its 11m views, primarily because of what was seen as an overuse of CGI in the creation of the seven dwarfs.

This criticism has only mounted as dwarf actors have spoken out against actors being replaced with CGI characters.

Game of Thrones and Wicked actor Peter Dinklage – who has a common form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia – branded the story ‘backwards’.

Snow White is set to be released in cinemas on March 21.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Jenna Ortega is said to be in talks to star in the remake of an iconic 90s thriller, along with Taylor Russell.

The Wednesday actress, who is gearing up for the release of Death of a Unicorn, has been linked to a reboot of Single White Female – 32 years after the original hit the big screen with Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

The 1992 flick was based on a novel by John Lutz and followed Allison Jones (Bridget) who suffers a painful breakup with her fiancé Sam Rawson (Steven Weber), and decides to open up her home to new housemate Hendra Carlson (Jennifer).

They quickly form a close bond but their friendship takes a chilling turn when Allison reunites with Sam, unleashing a terrifying, jealous side of her new best friend.

Single White Female was a huge hit with fans and has become a cult classic over the years, sparking a 1995 sequel starring Kirsten Miller, Allison Lange and Brooke Burns.

According to People Magazine, Jenna and Taylor are in early talks for roles in a remake, amid reports that 3000 Pictures is behind the possible release.

Flocking to Reddit, fans were furious over the idea of the movie being revived, questioning why Hollywood bosses weren’t focusing on fresh ideas.

Outrageous-Law4507 slammed: ‘Don’t we have anything better to do than remake and rehash tired old movie plots?’

SmuglySly fumed: ‘Are there no more original ideas?’

‘We don’t need remakes. Be more creative,’ Talktojvc urged.

The erotic thriller, directed by Barbet Schroeder, premiered more than three decades ago and grossed $84million at the global box office.

It currently has a 53% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, compared to a slightly less audience ranking of 44%, and Bridget and Jennifer were met with rave reviews for their efforts.

‘Jennifer Jason Leigh is one of the most underrated actresses alive,’ Steve D wrote. ‘She makes this a blast. It works better than Fatal Attraction for me.’

An anonymous user posted: ‘I enjoyed this movie, it’s like a guilty pleasure. Melodramatic and utterly ridiculous but in the best possible sense.’

‘Single White Female is enjoyably unsettling,’ Joel H agreed. ‘Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the roommate you always feared you might have, while Bridget Fonda plays a sympathetic and capable protagonist.

‘Yes, it gets a little sensational near the end, but it never leaves the realm of realism. This is a terrifying thriller for anyone who has shared an apartment with a stranger.’

‘Barbet Schroeder, did a good job of creating a rememberable psychopath out of Jennifer Jason Leigh,’ an unnamed poster added.

Metro has contacted reps for Jenna and Taylor for a comment.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Freakier Friday, the sequel to the iconic 2003 film, has finally released a trailer – and fans are beyond excited.

After more than 20 years since Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are set to be reunited on screen as they appear in a sequel to the body swap comedy that delighted fans in the noughties.

The original film focused on a fractious relationship between rock chick teenager Anna Coleman (Lohan) and her therapist mother, Tess Coleman (Curtis), who are baffled when they wake up in each other’s bodies.

The sequel promises more body swapping and the trailer shows that Anna’s daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter will be the ones swapping bodies with their mother and grandmother.

The trailer promises more laughs as Jamie Lee Curtis’s character (who has been possessed by a teen) says her ‘face looks like a Birkin bag that’s been left out in the sun to rot.’

The chaotic trailer promised that this sequel is going to be action-packed and filled with nostalgia – and fans could not be happier.

‘I speak for everyone when I say we will be watching,’ said wickednewshub.

‘I CANNOT BELIEVE I LIVE IN A REALITY WHERE THIS IS REAL! THIS MOVIE WAS MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD/TEENAGE YEARS!!! I KNOW ALL THE LINES OF THE FIRST MOVIE!!! THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE!!!!’ said putzcomentei

‘We’ve waited for this for so looooong,’ said iamnaaomixx.

However, there were some fans who were a little more dubious about the project, given the reputation of sequels never quite living up to the original.

‘I can already tell this is gonna be one of those movies with a 15% critic score, but the nostalgia fever is gonna give this an 80% audience score,’ said Kur0Kaen.

‘This really could look like something insanely good or ends up doing bad, but hey it looks good tho,’ said Joefanatic23.

The final frames of the trailer revealed that Chad Michael Murray is returning to play Jake – Anna’s love interest in the first film.

Fans were delighted to see his return, and it has been confirmed that NCIS’s Mark Harmon will be returning to play Tess’s husband and Anna’s stepdad, Ryan.

Christina Vidal Mitchell (Maddie), Haley Hudson (Peg), Rosalind Chao (Pei-Pei), Lucille Soong (Pei-Pei’s mom), and Stephen Tobolowsky (Mr. Bates) are also all returning in this epic sequel.

Lohan and Curtis announced that there would be a sequel to the 2003 film in June 2024.

‘The Colemans are back and coming to theaters in 2025! The sequel to Freaky Friday is now in production!’ read a post from the pair that showed them together outside of a trailer.

The original film was a smash at the box office and made
$160.8 million (£82.6 million) against a budget of $26 million (£20.1 million).

Freakier Friday is released in cinemas on August 8.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.