Snow White Actor Martin Klebba Expresses Disappointment Over Reduced Premiere Plans
Snow White actor Martin Klebba has expressed his disappointment over Disney’s decision to reduce the scale of the film’s premiere.
Klebba, who lends his voice to Grumpy in the live-action remake of the beloved animated classic, shared with TMZ on Wednesday, March 12, that he’s quite upset and frustrated that Disney opted to cancel what should have been a grand premiere for such an important film.
The Snow White premiere is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, but it won’t resemble a traditional red-carpet affair. As reported by Variety on Tuesday, the event will exclude press interviews with the stars Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler, and will primarily be attended by photographers and crew members only. (Us Weekly has reached out to Disney for a statement.)
In the film, Zegler portrays the eponymous princess while Gadot plays the Evil Queen. Klebba, at the age of 55, brings life to Grumpy, among the characters based on the Seven Dwarves using motion capture technology. Klebba has acromicric dysplasia, a type of dwarfism.
The specific reasons for the pared-down premiere have not been disclosed, but the newest Snow White adaptation has sparked multiple controversies since its inception four years ago. In a January 2022 interview on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, actor Peter Dinklage, who has achondroplasia, voiced his concerns, stating: “You’re progressive in one way, yet you’re still making that f—ing backward story about seven dwarves living in a cave. What the f— are you doing, man?”
Following Dinklage’s remarks, Disney issued a statement saying, “To avoid perpetuating stereotypes from the original animated film, we are adopting a new approach with these seven characters and have consulted with members of the dwarfism community.”
According to TMZ, Klebba mentioned that “as far as he knows, motion-capture was always part of the plan and was not a spontaneous reaction” to Dinklage’s remarks.
The report stated, however, that Klebba emphasized how “it’s incredibly challenging for Little People to secure roles in Hollywood, particularly leading roles, so this could have represented a significant opportunity for others.”
Rachel Zegler maintains a positive perspective regarding the backlash surrounding her upcoming live-action take on Snow White. During a conversation for the March 2025 issue of Vogue Mexico, Zegler, 23, shared her thoughts on the public’s reaction to the reimagining of a Disney classic. “I view people’s feelings towards this film as passion,” she said.
Zegler also faced criticism in 2023 when she described the 1937 original film as “dated” because the prince “literally stalks Snow White.” In an interview, she remarked to Variety, “She’s not waiting to be saved by the prince. She dreams of being the leader she knows she can become.”
In her Vogue Mexico interview, Zegler addressed the public’s reactions to the reinterpretation of Snow White by saying, “I see people’s emotions regarding this film as passion,” she added in translation. “It’s a privilege to be part of something that evokes such strong feelings. We won’t always align with those around us, but we can only strive to do our best.”
