Latest news with #Columbian-American
Telegraph
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Small actors to protest Disney using CGI dwarves in Snow White remake
The protest is being organised by Jeff Beacher, an American film producer who has long campaigned for greater recognition of small actors. The £215 million remake, released in cinemas this Friday, has been mired in controversy since production began four years ago. Rachel Zegler, the Columbian-American actress who is playing Snow White, has said she 'hated' the original film and branded its story 'weird' with a stalker-like Prince Charming character who steals a kiss from a girl in a coma who could not give consent. She has also been outspoken about her support for Palestine during the film's promotion, even thanking fans for their response to the trailer in Aug 2024 by adding: 'And always remember, free Palestine'. By contrast, Gal Gador, who served in the Israel Defence Forces, has been outspoken about her support for the country since the Oct 7 attacks by Hamas. Her stance on the conflict has triggered calls by Palestinian groups for a boycott of the film. ' It's been a total PR disaster …we cannot wait for this week to be over,' one anonymous executive told the newspaper. Disney has said it used CGI dwarves in the remake to 'avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film' and that it would replace the seven with 'magical creatures'. Ms Chapman's husband, Matt McCarthy, who is four feet one inches tall, said 'we're not going down quietly'.
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Snow White star at centre of woke row to play Evita in West End revival
The star of Disney 's embattled 'woke' Snow White film will play Evita in an upcoming West End revival. Rachel Zegler, 23, will take on the titular role of Eva Peron at the London Palladium musical, being directed by Jamie Lloyd, in her UK stage debut. The announcement comes as the Columbian-American actress and soprano, who won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Maria in West Side Story, is embroiled in Snow White's disastrous marketing campaign. However, Zegler has now secured the starring role in Sir Tim Rice and Lord Lloyd-Webber's Evita, which follows the story of Peron as she rises from poverty to become the most powerful woman in Latin America. Reaction on social media was mixed, with some praising Zegler as 'perfect' for the singing role, while another claimed the casting was 'a misguided attempt to capitalise on her rising fame'. One person joked on X: 'When does she start dissing Argentinians?' While another asked: 'Hasn't she bankrupted enough productions by now?' Speaking about the new role, Zegler said: 'Evita has been such an important musical to me since I was a little girl, when my dad and I would sing Don't Cry For Me Argentina together on my back patio.' She added: 'The opportunity to bring Jamie Lloyd's singular, visionary ideas to life onstage is an honour unlike any other. The stage has always felt like home to me, and I can't wait to make my West End debut in such great company.' Lloyd said: 'I am so excited to be collaborating with the brilliant Rachel Zegler on Evita. 'She is a phenomenal talent, and I am delighted she will be making her West End debut as the iconic Eva Peron.' Zegler made her Broadway debut last year, starring as Juliet in Romeo And Juliet alongside Kit Connor, but made her name as Maria in the 2021 film remake of West Side Story. The part that has garnered the most attention, however, was her casting as Snow White four years ago, which caused controversy from the outset. Responding to critics who said she was the wrong choice for the role in the $269 million (£212 million) film, the Latina actress posted on social media that she would not be 'bleaching' her skin for the part. In the original animation, as in the fairy tale, Schneewittchen, Snow White's name is derived from her pale complexion, specifically referencing the description of 'skin as white as snow'. However, the actress later claimed that in the reimagined live-action movie, the princess received her name because of her 'resilience'. She also came under fire for describing the beloved 1937 animation as 'extremely dated' and likening the prince's behaviour to that of a 'stalker'. The son of the original Snow White animator, David Hand, condemned the 'woke' remake and said it was 'insulting' to the traditional film. The lead-up to the film's March 21 release saw Zegler face backlash for putting a feminist spin on the traditional Disney princess. There was added controversy over Zegler's clashing views with Gal Gadot, her Israeli co-star, on the war in Gaza and she was forced to backtrack after scolding Donald Trump voters. The entertainment giant pared back the upcoming Hollywood premiere for the live-action remake in the wake of the PR campaign. Zegler recently made a solo appearance in Spain – without Gadot – to promote the film in Europe at a modest event. Coverage of Saturday's premiere in Los Angeles will be limited to photographers and an in-house crew, rather than the dozens of media outlets typically invited to interview the film's cast and creatives on the red carpet. Industry experts and fans have speculated the scaled-back premiere is an attempt to bury the troubles of the marketing campaign. A source told Page Six: 'Disney's lead actress is out of control, they don't know what to do.' Zegler's UK stage debut in Evita will run at the London Palladium until September 6. Tickets for the show will go on sale later this year, with 5,000 being made available at a special price for under-30s, key workers and those receiving government benefits.
Telegraph
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Gal Gadot skips European ‘premiere' of Snow White film after Gaza controversy
Hollywood star Gal Gadot skipped the European 'premiere' of Disney's Snow White remake after the film was plagued by controversies including conflicting views between cast members over Gaza. The Disney live-action remake, which will be released in UK cinemas on March 21, was shown at a pared-back screening in Spain on Wednesday night with only one star in attendance. While Israeli actress Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, was notably missing, the Columbian-American actress Rachel Zegler, who plays Snow White, performed for a modest crowd in a remote castle north-west of Madrid. Zegler, who has been at the centre of the marketing campaign for a film beset by controversy, was filmed singing Waiting on a Wish at the screening, branded by the entertainment giant as the film's 'European event' rather than a traditional premiere. Disney has decided to pare back the Hollywood premiere of the film in Los Angeles on Saturday amid a string of controversies. Zegler, who previously said she has been 'public with a pro-Palestine stance since 2021', was pictured in attendance at the castle in the city of Segovia alongside the film's director Marc Webb. Meanwhile Gadot, who spent two years serving in the Israel Defence Forces and has been outspoken about her support for the country since the Oct 7 attacks by Hamas, is only expected to attend the LA event this weekend. Webb and Zegler posed on a red carpet on Wednesday that included a select few local Spanish influencers and families from the small city rather than the usual list of major news outlets and throngs of fans. The absence of other cast and crew members was apparent when the small crowd gathered at the Alcázar of Segovia, which is speculated to have served as an inspiration behind the castle in Disney's 1937 beloved animated original. It marked one of the first promotional occasions for the film and comes just a few days before the main event, which will also not feature the typical red carpet that sees dozens of media outlets interviewing the cast and producers. Instead, coverage of Saturday's premiere of the $269 million (£208 million) film at El Capitan Theatre in LA will be limited to photographers and an in-house crew, according to Variety. Among the 'VIP' attendees at Wednesday's event was a Spanish Snow White movie fan account, which has 3,735 followers on Instagram, and Nuria Adraos, a Spanish make-up artist who boasts 815,000 followers. They were joined by Almu Carrion, a Valencia influencer who described being dined at a Snow White themed dinner that included Pandora freebies and a small screening of the film. The modest European event comes after the film has been beset by controversy since the start, including scrutiny over both Gadot and Zelger's casting. Critics branded the 23-year-old Latina actress as a 'woke' choice for Snow White. She later felt the need to clarify on X that she would not be 'bleaching' her skin for the role – and pro-Palestine activists took issue with Gadot's vocal support of her birthplace and called for the film to be boycotted. Elsewhere, problems have also arisen over the film's approach to the seven dwarfs, with Peter Dinklage, the Game of Thrones actor, who has dwarfism, expressing surprise that Disney would remake a 'backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together'. Disney also sparked some criticism among the dwarfism community for then opting to use CGI for the dwarfs instead of using actors with the condition. It came after the company insisted it had been consulting with members of the dwarfism community throughout the early stages of production to 'avoid reinforcing stereotypes' from the original animation. Zegler also came under fire for her criticism of Donald Trump's re-election last year, saying: 'May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.' The actress, who later backtracked and apologised for her comments, added that Mr Trump's return to the White House was an indication of a 'deep sickness in this country'. She also insisted that in the new live-action film, the Disney Princess will have a feminist spin and will not 'be dreaming about true love' as she does in the 1937 animation. Zegler said in an interview: 'It's no longer 1937… She's not going to be saved by the prince… She's dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.'
