Actress Rachel Zegler, best known for the movie-musical West Side Story, hit back at negative comments about her singing in the live-action remake of Snow White. Trouble started when Disney’s official Instagram account posted a video of Zegler performing “Waiting on a Wish” in front of Alcàzar de Segovia Castle in Segovia, Spain, which was the inspiration for the castle in the original 1937 film. Fans who commented on the post weren’t impressed by her vocals, questioning why she was chosen for the role. “NO thanks. Disney wasn’t [sic] so difficult to cast a soprano ???” one user quipped. To this, Zegler replied: “I am a soprano! West Side Story is now streaming on Disney+! ❤️🍎.” Disney has scaled back the press tour for the upcoming film after multiple controversies, opting for a quiet premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on March 15. Stars Zegler and Gal Gadot will attend but will not be doing a Q&A or any press interviews. The U.K. premiere was also canceled. Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, faced racist backlash for playing the title character, who was originally described as having “skin as white as snow.” The criticism intensified when Zegler spoke out against the outdated gender roles in the 1937 animated classic and later criticized President Donald Trump and expressed support for Palestinians. The film’s use of CGI dwarfs instead of actors with dwarfism also drew criticism. Director Marc Webb explained the decision to use CGI was made to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes” from the original film.
