Rachel Zegler opens up about hearing the fan reaction to some exclusive Snow White footage shown at Disney's D23 Expo. Inspired by Disney's 1937 classic, Snow White joins Disney's ever-expanding line up of live-action adaptations of their animated features, joining the likes of 2015's Cinderella and more recently 2019's Aladdin, with a live-action Hercules also currently in the works. The film will see Zegler star as the film’s titular character, after having become the breakout star of 2021 and going on to secure a number of major roles following her performance as Maria in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story.
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Helmed by Marc Webb, directing a screenplay written by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson, Snow White will also see Gal Gadot star as the Evil Queen. Much of what can be expected from this highly anticipated release remains tightly under wraps, with no official promotional material having been released to the public thus far. Back in May, photos from the set were revealed which offered the very first look at Zegler's Snow White, confirming that the film would stick to the princess' classic dress design. With D23 Expo currently underway in California, guests in attendance got to see the first official footage from Snow White and now Zegler has shared her reaction to this big moment.
While speaking with THR following her onstage appearance at D23 Expo, Zegler opened up about hearing the immense fan reaction to Snow White's first look. The star shared that, while she didn't actually get the chance to watch the footage, seeing the logo alone was enough to make her emotional. Zegler drew on her personal experiences in making the film, revealing that hearing the screaming and cheering in response to the footage filled her with "such gratitude." Check out Zegler's full quote below.
Fun fact, I didn’t get to watch it, I didn’t see it, I have no idea what everyone was reacting to, but I saw the logo, and I got really emotional. I also heard everybody screaming, and I got really excited, which means they must’ve liked it. But I know how I felt making it, so hearing everybody’s reception of it being so excited and screaming and cheering, it fills your heart with such gratitude.
The young star previously discussed the pressure that comes with stepping into a role as iconic as Snow White, revealing that she found her self trying to block out any comparisons between her and "a literal two-dimensional cartoon." Following Zegler’s casting in the role, the star was met with backlash from people who took issue with Disney’s decision to cast a Latina actor to play Snow White. Zegler has opened up about this in the past, revealing that the negativity understandably took a toll on her, therefore, to hear such a positive response to the footage must have felt incredibly special for the star.
For Zegler, it's likely to have been somewhat of an overwhelming experience to hear such an immensely positive reaction to her work in the Snow White footage, so it's incredibly sweet to hear how much it means to the star. While D23 Expo yielded few other details surrounding this upcoming film, it was confirmed that Snow White is currently working towards a 2024 release, therefore, audiences will likely begin to learn more and more about this upcoming film as the release date nears. With many excited to see what Zegler will bring to this exciting new role, hopefully there isn't too long to go until wider audiences get their own first glimpse of Disney's Snow White.