Disney’s live-action Snow White

remake 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 тιтular character, a princess who joins forces with seven dwarfs to save her kingdom from the Evil Queen, a role played by Gal Gadot. Snow White has been mired in controversy since 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.

Variety now reports that Snow White has been banned from playing in theaters in Lebanon. There are several reported reasons behind the decision, which came from Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar. 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, however, suggests that the decision stems from star Gal Gadot’s involvement. Gadot is reportedly 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 that Snow White has 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 mᴀssacre of Jews,” per the same Variety report above. It hasn’t been Gadot, however, who has been the main source of controversy surrounding the movie.

Snow White found itself in H๏τ water over remarks from Zegler months before the movie was released, in which the star celebrated how the film updates certain outdated female character tropes, making the тιтular Disney princess more active and independent.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 entire Snow White cast – becoming the target of a racist backlash, with the Zegler backlash, specifically, a result of her Latin heritage.

As for how the film has actually performed, it’s been a fairly major disappointment. Snow White reviews resulted in a lackluster 40% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 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

Though Snow White playing 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.

It’s not clear how the Snow White situation 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.

Source: Variety