Snow White premiered in Los Angeles on Saturday with most of the trappings befitting a Disney tentpole: food and candy galore, plenty of Snow White-themed activity stations, and appearances from top brass including CEO Bob Iger and live-action film boss David Greenbaum.
The only thing missing? Most of the red carpet press.
Disney opted for a largely press-free premiere due to complicated situations around both stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. Both actresses appeared to be high spirits nonetheless, chatting with each other and posing for photos together on the red carpet outside Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre. Zegler, who stars as the titular princess, and Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, both participated in on-camera interviews with talent-friendly Disney house crew on the carpet.
On the carpet, an animated Zegler embraced actress Emilia Faucher, who plays young Snow White, saying “that’s my girl, that’s my baby.”
Amid the hubub, The Hollywood Reporter briefly caught up with actor Andy Grotelueschen, who voices Sleepy and said he was “thrilled” by the scope of the premiere. “The energy here is amazing. There are so many kids that are participating. There’s animals. There’s a deer. There are rabbits,” said Grotelueschen. When asked if the debate surrounding the movie takes away from the project, he said, “in this day in age, I don’t think you can please everybody. But I do know this movie was made with love and with reverence.”
Inside the theater, no one spoke to introduce the film, which is not out of the ordinary for a premiere at the El Cap. Gadot received huge applause the first time her character appeared on-screen, as did Zegler, who also got major cheers for “Waiting on a Wish,” the first single from Snow White‘s original soundtrack.
The studio took special precautions with the premiere following years of Snow White backlash, which go back as far as the casting of Zegler — who is of Colombian descent — to play the classically white princess. Zegler also previously criticized the original film as “extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power,” saying Snow White’s prince “literally stalks her” and noted, “People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White, where it’s like, yeah, it is — because it needed that.” Separately, following President Donald Trump’s win in November, Zegler posted on Instagram, “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace,” and added, “There is a deep deep sickness in this country.” She quickly apologized for her comments.
Gadot has also become a controversial figure due to her public support of Israel, frequently speaking out in support of her native country since the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas.
Ahead of the L.A. premiere, Disney used a similarly low-key playbook internationally, opting against a traditional U.K. premiere. Instead, Zegler performed “Waiting on a Wish” at a European event at the Alcázar of Segovia Castle in Spain on Wednesday, where she appeared alongside director Marc Webb. Gadot, meanwhile, has been dispatched to New York, making the rounds with Good Morning America, Live With Kelly & Mark and The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.
Snow White hits theaters March 21.