Gal Gadot. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Israeli actress Gal Gadot has been cast to play the Evil Queen in Disney’s live-action remake of the animated 1937 classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” it was announced over the weekend at the D23 Expo in California.

“She’s so much different than anything that I’ve ever played before,” Gadot told The Hollywood Reporter about her role in the new film, simply called “Snow White,” while on the red carpet at the bi-annual exposition. She added, “it was great to explore all of those differences and to sing and to dance. It was just delicious and I enjoyed every moment of it.”

Gadot also told Deadline  that playing an evil character for a change has been refreshing. She explained, “That was so delightful and so enjoyable to be able to play the other side of the coin. I feel like so grateful to have the opportunity to play this iconic villain. The first villain ever made.”

The original “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” from 1937 was Disney’s first feature film and the world’s first full-length animated movie. Based on the famous Brothers Grimm fairytale, the story follows a princess named Snow White who is orphaned as a child and raised by her stepmother the Evil Queen, who is obsessed with her own beauty. When the Queen’s magic mirror foreshadows that Snow White will surpass her in beauty, the Evil Queens attempted to murder the child. Snow White then flees their castle and ultimately finds refuge with seven dwarfs who live in the woods.

The cast of the new “Snow White” includes “West Side Story” star Rachel Zegler in the lead role as the first-ever Disney princess. It will feature original songs from “Dear Evan Hansen” songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and Snow White’s love interest will be played by Tony award-winning actor Andrew Burnap. “Snow White” is being directed by “500 Days of Summer” filmmaker Marc Webb, who is also the producing the Disney project, and the script was written by Erin Cressida Wilson and “Little Women” director Greta Gerwig.

Disney showed an exclusive 30-second teaser of the live-action remake at the D23 Expo on Friday, according to Variety.