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Despite their popularity, it’s no secret that Disney’s live-action remakes have become a hotbed of controversy. There are those who love seeing animated come to life, and there are those who think Disney should focus on creating more original stories. However, there’s no arguing with the fact that, even though there are complaints, live-action movies continue to perform. Walt Disney Studio’s most successful film of 2023 was its live-action Little Mermaid, which beat out original movies Elemental and Wish.
Credit: Disney
Related: Live-Action Moana Set to Break Longstanding Disney Tradition
Perhaps one of Disney’s most controversial live-action movies is Snow White, which is scheduled to come out next year. The film will star Rachel Zegler as the titular princess and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Since Zegler’s casting was announced, Disney has dealt with a ton of backlash. Zegler has not helped her cause, and has frequently criticized the original story.
Credit: Disney
Disney is not the only studio that Zegler has worked with. This year, she teamed up with Lionsgate to star in The Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The film tells the story of future Panem president Coriolanus Snow and the first time he was a part of the Hunger Games. Zegler stars as Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12, and the tribute Coriolanus will mentor during the games.
The film was an immediate hit and currently has an 89% audience score on the website Rotten Tomatoes. But Zegler’s recent achievement because of the movie is causing some backlash.
Credit: Lionsgate
On February 19, the People’s Choice Awards took place. Zegler was honored when she won the award for Action Movie Star of the Year. During her speech, Zegler thanked fans, saying that she never felt like she fit in. However, winning the award made her feel like she finally fit in and didn’t have to change herself to do it.
“I love movies, love making them. And I am a fan of movies, and I’m surrounded by movie fans tonight and movie fans who voted and I’m so thankful to everyone who’s ever bought a ticket and watched something that so many people have made. For so long in this business, I didn’t think I fit in, but tonight you have made me feel like I don’t have to change myself to be chosen and I appreciate you so much.”
Credit: Lionsgate
Zegler was stunned, and so were some fans. They took to social media, questioning how Zegler won the award instead of stars like Keanu Reeves or Tom Cruise. Reeves was nominated for his role in John Wick: Chapter 4 and Cruise was nominated for Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
Tell me this is a separate category and these two have a shot at winning this award 🫠
Tell me this is a separate category and these two have a shot at winning this award 🫠 pic.twitter.com/jQ7Ca3JQ1j
— Nupura Ranjan Mishra (@NupuraRMishra) February 19, 2024
Some said that they enjoyed The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but they did not think her role really met the standard for winning Action Movie Star of the Year.
I liked the movie quite a lot, but there is no reality where she deserved that over the action work Cruise or Reaves [sic] did in their respective films the same year.
Rachel Zegler wins Action Movie Star of the Year at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards pic.twitter.com/DDT2xF6IIC
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) February 19, 2024
Of course, there were many fans who supported Zegler’s win. While The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes might not have been as action-packed as John Wick: Chapter 4 or Dead Reckoning, it had its own share of dark action and edge-of-your-seat scenes.
Other nominees in the Action Movie Star of the Year included Jason Momoa for Aquaman 2, Brie Larson for The Marvels, Chris Pratt for Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, Gal Gadot for Heart of Stone, and Viola Davis for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Who do you think should have won the award? Let us know in the comments!
