The daily gossip: 'Snow White' director's son slams remake amid Rachel Zegler backlash, Justin Bieber rumored to be splitting from manager Scooter Braun, and more

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Rachel Zegler
David Hand, the son of the original "Snow White" director, isn't happy about the Disney remake
(Image credit: Dave J. Hogan / Getty Images)

1. 'Snow White' director's son slams remake amid Rachel Zegler backlash

Someday, the "Snow White" backlash will come to an end, but today's not that day. The son of the original director of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," who shares the name David Hand with his father, told The Telegraph that his dad and Walt Disney would be "turning in their grave" over the "insulting" upcoming live-action remake of their 1937 film. "It's a whole different concept, and I just totally disagree with it, and I know my dad and Walt would also very much disagree with it," he said, slamming Disney for "making up new woke things." This came amid backlash over resurfaced comments by the Disney remake's star, Rachel Zegler, who argued "Snow White" is dated and "weird" because the prince "literally stalks her." But Hand, 91, argued young people "don't know what they're talking about" and "misunderstand" the original "Snow White," adding that there's "no respect for what Disney did and what my dad did." Someone's grumpy.

The Telegraph

2. Is Justin Bieber splitting from manager Scooter Braun?

What was it that Taylor Swift sang about karma? Justin Bieber and longtime manager Scooter Braun "haven't spoken in months" and are "headed separate ways" as the singer looks for new management, Puck's Matthew Belloni reported. Braun, of course, is the manager Taylor Swift infamously feuded with after he gained ownership of her master recordings, leading to her quest to re-record her earlier albums. Entertainment Tonight is disputing Puck's report, though, claiming Bieber and Braun are still working together. "Justin is not taking meetings to look for new management," their sources insisted. "The two recently worked on something together." Reps for all parties also told Page Six "that rumors claiming the two have parted ways are not true." But Belloni has doubled down, maintaining that Bieber had his representative deny the report as a "face-saving favor to Braun," to whom he is "still contractually bound." Either way, the Swiftie victory celebrations in the streets of every major city have already begun.

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Puck Entertainment Tonight

3. 'The Nun' star sues Warner Bros. for breach of contract

She's nun too pleased. Bonnie Aarons, who played the titular demonic nun in the "Conjuring" spinoff "The Nun," is suing Warner Bros. for alleged breach of contract, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor's complaint says she was paid $71,500 for the 2018 movie, and her contract entitles her to a share of profits from the merchandising. But the lawsuit alleges that "instead of accounting and paying in a transparent fashion, Warner Bros. obscures and hides the true amount of Ms. Aarons' rightful share of merchandising revenues, all while continuing to exploit her." She claims the studio's statements outlining her share of revenue are "inconsistent with the extensive merchandising activities" for the character. Aarons first played the creepy nun in 2016's "The Conjuring 2," and she reprises the role in next month's "The Nun II." Warner Bros. hasn't commented on the case, but the studio will have to conjure up a defense sooner or later.

The Hollywood Reporter

4. 'Succession' actor reveals she was attacked by otters

We've heard of boar on the floor, but this is ridiculous. Crystal Finn, who played ATN producer Lauren Pawson on "Succession," told the San Francisco Chronicle that she was attacked by otters last month. Finn said the incident happened while she was swimming in the Feather River near California's Plumas National Forest. "I felt something on my backside and on my leg," she recalled. "I started looking around and yelling out and [the otters] popped up right in front of me. Then they dove down and started going at me again." According to the report, Finn was treated for bite injuries at the hospital — and doctors there told the outlet that even though otter attacks on humans are rare, they had just treated another patient for otter bites. "After the first otter attack I thought, 'Wow that was kind of special' and then two days later there was another one," emergency room physician Dr. Martin Rosengreen said. Welp, humanity had a good run.

San Francisco Chronicle

5. Michael Cera landed 'Barbie' role after emailing Greta Gerwig personally

Don't let your Barbie dreams be dreams, kids. Michael Cera explained to GQ how he landed the role of Allan in "Barbie," which involved shooting his shot over email with director Greta Gerwig. As Cera tells it, his manager got a call checking on his availability but nearly blew it by stating the actor probably "wouldn't want to do" the film because it was shooting in London. When Cera found out, though, he asked, "How can I not do it?" So Cera obtained Gerwig's email address through a friend and wrote her to ask, "Can I be in it? Can I do that part?" According to Cera, Gerwig emailed back and said, "Let's get on a Zoom right now. Here's a Zoom link. I'll be on there for the next hour." She was just "hanging out" on Zoom when he arrived, and after they talked, the rest was history. In the end, the role fit him as perfectly as Ken's clothes fit Allan.

GQ

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan is a staff writer at The Week. A graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, he also writes about horror films for Bloody Disgusting and has previously contributed to The Cheat Sheet, Heavy, WhatCulture, and more. He lives in New York City surrounded by Star Wars posters.