The recent live-action adaptation of Snow White has had more than its quota of controversies, and it has just added another one to that list, as recently, the film has been banned in Lebanon. Previous issues have centered around the erasure of roles for actors with dwarfism as well as the casting of Rachel Zegler. However, this ban is solely down to the inclusion of Gal Gadot. This controversy separates itself from the others surrounding Snow White as it actually has nothing to do with the contents of the movie; if the movie had been shot for shot with a different actress playing the evil queen, it likely would’ve played in theaters in Lebanon. However, Gadot’s connections to Israel mean she is on a boycott list, and none of her movies will ever be shown in the country.

Why Was ‘Snow White’ Banned in Lebanon?

Snow White’s removal from Lebanon centers around Gal Gadot, ordered by Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar. Local media reports suggest the recommendation came from the country’s film and media watchdog following Israel’s ongoing attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Before her acting debut, Gadot served in the Israel Defense Forces and has been vocal in her support of the country, which has been at the center of the Snow White controversy – particularly creating alleged tension with Zegler.

However, this ban is not directly correlated to Snow White or current affairs, although the modern landscape is still hugely relevant. In fact, Gal Gadot has been on Lebanon’s Israel Boycott List for some time, and no movie she has starred in has ever been released in the country, including Wonder Woman 1984 and Death on the Nile. This ban comes roughly 2 months after Captain America: Brave New World was prohibited from being screened due to the inclusion of Israeli actress Shira Haas.

What Does This Ban Mean for ‘Snow White’?

Snow White’s return has been underwhelming for Disney, failing to reach $200 million at the global box office. Although it has continued a current downward trend for Disney’s live action adaptations, which has seemingly indicated a sense of fatigue surrounding these reimaginings. However, it is unlikely that releasing the movie in Lebanon would have been hugely impactful to the box office numbers. Instead, it merely feels like an additional asterisk to add to an ever-expanding list of issues people have had with Snow White.

However, the impact of the controversy surrounding Snow White cannot be understated. The underperformance at the box office has led to reports of other adaptations being put on hold indefinitely, such as Tangled‘s live-action remake set to be directed by The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey. Yet, it is difficult to determine if the overwhelmingly negative response to Snow White is an isolated incident or an issue with Disney’s strategy of building on existing IP and nostalgia. IMDB even issued a disclaimer after the movie was review-bombed and became one of the lowest-rated movies on the site, prompting lists to outline movies deemed better than Snow White due to their ratings. No matter your stance on the external factors, the movie itself is objectively not worth the extreme rating.

The Disney Live-Action Remakes Are Going to Keep on Coming

It is only in the next few months that we will be able to tell if Snow White is an anomaly for Disney. This summer sees the release of the live-action Lilo and Stitch, which already has a huge amount of anticipation behind it, with the trailer becoming the second most-viewed Disney live-action trailer of all time, only behind 2019’s The Lion King. Similarly, Stitch is one of the most prominent Disney characters seen on merchandising, if you remove Mickey Mouse and friends. Following Lilo and Stitch is the live-action remake of Moana, which breaks the trend of these adaptations as its source material is much more recent and therefore doesn’t feel hinged on nostalgia. These two movies will serve as the true litmus test for Disney and signal whether Snow White was the beginning of the end or merely an outlier.