‘Snow White’ Star Martin Klebba Weighs in on Disney’s Scaled-Back Premiere Plans
Disney’s Snow White is set to hit theaters in less than two weeks, and the film remains embroiled in controversy.
Earlier this week, reports emerged that Disney was scaling back its plans for the film’s Hollywood premiere, and would not allow media on the red carpet.
Photo: Disney
While Disney argued that the protocol change was made to create a “more celebratory, family-friendly afternoon,” their real motivations were clear, they wanted to avoid any more bad publicity.
‘Snow White’ Has Been Plagued By Controversy
Since Disney announced that a live-action Snow White film was in development, the project has been mired by controversy.
The problems began when Peter Dinklage criticized the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, calling it a “backward story” due to its portrayal of dwarfism.
In response, Disney said it would be “reimagining the dwarfs to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original film.”
The studio’s statement sparked backlash from fans of the animated classic and several actors with dwarfism, who felt that Dinklage’s comments did not reflect the views of the entire community.
Rachel Zegler’s Comments
Meanwhile, Rachel Zegler has also faced criticism for her remarks about the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Speaking at the 2022 D23 Expo, Zegler pointed out that the film was “very evidently” a product of the 1930s.
“There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her,” she commented, calling the dynamic “weird” and emphasizing that the new Snow White is “really not about the love story at all.” She considered this change a welcome improvement.
Later, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zegler described the original Snow White as “extremely dated” in its portrayal of women, particularly regarding their roles in power and societal expectations.
Photo: Disney
Zegler’s comments quickly drew the ire of both social conservatives and fans of the original film.
Martin Klebba Weighs In
In a recent interview with the New York Post, actor Martin Klebba, who voices Grumpy in Snow White, admitted he is “disappointed” with Disney’s decision to scale back the film’s Hollywood premiere.
Photo: Desert News
“I was a little disappointed,” Klebba said. “I’m not disappointed in Disney. I’m disappointed in the world.”
Having starred in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Klebba knows how joyous Disney movie premieres can be. He is particularly disappointed that the film’s cast and crew will not get the full premiere experience because of comments made by Zegler.
“We’ve come to this place in society where people work really hard on this movie, where Marc [Webb], the director, is probably four years into putting this together, [along with] the producers and Disney, and just because a couple of people have views that not everybody feels the same way, now we’re having to alter the fun part of making a movie, which is premieres,” he explained.
Snow White. Photo: Disney
“So I’m a little bummed, but I understand it as well,” Klebba said. “Disney is one of the greatest production companies of all time, so you gotta be really careful in today’s world. So I see why they did.”
Regardless of all the noise, Klebber just wants to celebrate with his castmates.
Photo: USA Today
“I just was really hoping to get to get together and walk the red carpet with these guys,” he added.
Snow White will hit theaters on March 21, 2025.
