Disney is handling the promotion of its new Snow White movie in an unusual way. Instead of allowing reporters on the red carpet, only photographers and Disney’s own interviewers will be there, according to Variety. Normally, many media outlets attend movie premieres.
The event is set for March 15 at El Capitan Theater, with stars Rachel Zegler (Snow White) and Gal Gadot (the Evil Queen) expected to attend.
There are several possible reasons why Disney may not want journalists asking questions. One major topic is the ongoing conflict in Palestine—Gadot, who is Israeli, has supported Israel, while Zegler has shown support for Palestine.
Other controversies include some Disney fans criticizing Zegler’s casting because she is Latina and her past comments about the original film’s romance, where she said Prince Charming “literally stalks” Snow White.
Another issue is how the movie handles the seven dwarfs. Actor Peter Dinklage previously called the story “backwards” for portraying “seven dwarfs living in a cave together.”
Disney responded by saying it worked with members of the dwarfism community to approach the characters differently. However, with journalists being kept away, it’s unclear how much more will be revealed about these changes.
