Every liberty being taken and every change being made to the original Snow White (1937) film seems to be a step in the wrong direction. There are so many controversies attached to the upcoming remake’s name that you’d probably need a guide to keep track of all of them!
It would be bad enough at that, considering that Disney’s live-action remakes have been lukewarm at best and devastatingly bad at worst, but it seems that the film’s leading lady has made things more difficult recently.
But to sum it up, Rachel Zegler, the leading lady bringing Snow White to life, recently commented on the original Snow White film, which rubbed many fans the wrong way. In one interview, Zegler admits that she found the original Snow White frightening as a child, saying she “watched it once and never picked it up again.”
In another interview, Zegler describes some changes being made to the upcoming remake, stating, “it’s no longer 1937.” She continued, saying that Snow White wasn’t “going to be saved by the prince. And she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”
The actress also spoke about the original Snow White film during the D23 Expo, saying that the original Prince Charming was “a guy who literally stalks [Snow White].” She continued, saying:
We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie…All of Andrew [Burnap’s] scenes could get cut, who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby!
Andrew Burnap is playing a character named Jonathan, who will take the original Prince Charming’s place.
Although Zegler’s collection of comments has alienated fans of the original story, it’s done something even worse: alienated the director.
Marc Webb, the director behind The Amazing Spider-Man films starring Andrew Garfield, is at the helm of the upcoming live-action Snow White film. According to one report, Webb is “furious” at Rachel Zegler’s comments and all of the damage they’ve been doing from a public relations and marketing standpoint.
Mike Zeroh, a YouTuber focusing on all of the Walt Disney Company’s hot gossip, claims that Marc Webb is frustrated with Zegler for her comments and overall attitude while working on set. The YouTuber states:
The main reasoning behind this is that he wasn’t all that happy about Rachel joking around about how Andrew Burnap – who, by, the way, is the main male lead – could easily get cut from the film because ‘that’s Hollywood baby…’ Webb reportedly really had a big issue with that line of dialogue.
Not only that, but Rachel Zegler reportedly had issues with the romance between Snow White and the Prince Charming replacement, going as far as “wanting to water [it] down” according to Inside the Magic’s report.
Aside from Snow White, Zegler may have made things even more difficult by disparaging Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man films, which are widely regarded as some of the worst live-action Spider-Man films ever made.
As this year’s D23 rapidly approaches, we wonder what shape the live-action remake is in right now. Will we get to see a trailer during this year’s D23 Expo? Or will we receive even more bad news regarding the film’s status? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess, and we can only wait and see.
The planned release of the controversial live-action Snow White film has reportedly been shelved at Disney.
The live-action remake of Walt Disney’s first-ever feature-length original animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), was first announced in October 2016, though final decisions about the director and the cast weren’t made until much later. The majority of filming for the new flick took place at Pinewood Studios, England, from March 2022 to July 2022.
Disney’s newest live-action take-two film, simply titled Snow White, was directed by Marc Webb and written by Greta Gerwig, the director of the critically acclaimed and uber-popular Barbie movie (2023), and Erin Cressida Wilson and stars Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman, Martin Klebba as Grumpy, Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, a new character created for the remake that replaces the prince, and Rachel Zegler from West Side Story directed by Steven Spielberg, as Snow White.
The remake has been entangled in controversy and, unsurprisingly, fraught with criticism from the beginning. Not only has Disney been under fire from stars like Peter Dinklage (Game ofThrones), a member of the dwarfism community, for its initial plans to include dwarfs in the film, but the studio came under fire again when it announced that instead of dwarfs, the storyline called for magical creatures.
In addition to controversy because of Disney’s inclusion or exclusion of dwarfs in the film, Rachel Zegler, who is yet very early in her acting career, having only begun her career in Spielberg’s West Side Story remake, has continually displayed an air of immaturity and her very own pride-laced brand of arrogance each time the new Snow White film has been met with opposing views from her own.
In February 2022, Zegler responded to those who took issue with a Latina playing the role of Snow White with harshness, never publicly displaying any attempt to understand the growing disapproval, the majority of which did not come from a racist viewpoint, but rather a love for Disney’s classics and a desire to keep at least a part of the classic film intact. (Isn’t that what a remake is?)
A growing number of fans share a similar sentiment: Snow White’s very name comes from the fact that her skin is white as snow. So the issue was not the fact that a Latina was cast in the role, but rather that something needed to be done to address the issue of the Disney princess’s snow-white skin.
“Never in a million years did I imagine that this would be a possibility for me,” Zegler said. “You don’t normally see Snow Whites that are of Latin descent. Even though Snow White is really a big deal in Spanish-speaking countries. You don’t particularly see people who look like me . . . playing roles like that.”
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Zegler responded to backlash from critics about Disney’s decision to cast her for the new role, saying, “Yes I am Snow White; no, I am not bleaching my skin for the role.”
But Zegler’s harshness didn’t end there. More recently, Zegler has taken the liberty of placing herself on a pedestal–publicly announcing that she wants no part of any negative comments or criticism about the film. Recently, in response to the continued frustration over her role as Snow White, Zegler thanked her fans (those who agree with her 100%) and took the opportunity to make her opinions public, telling those who have an issue with the film to leave her out of it and labeling feelings different from hers as “nonsensical discourse.”
“. . . Don’t tag me in the nonsensical discourse about my casting,” Zegler wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding, “I really, truly do not want to see it.”
Perhaps someone should have a heart-to-heart with the young girl about a career in Hollywood, as she seems to believe that as an actress, she gets the final say on opinions and issues of the day. Zegler’s attitude alone could easily be described as . . . how did she say it: “nonsensical discourse?”
But Zegler’s attitude toward anyone with an opinion that differs from hers simply knows no limits.
“People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White, where it’s like, yeah, it is—because it needed that,” she said. “It’s an 85-year-old cartoon, and our version is a refreshing story about a young woman who has a function beyond ‘Someday My Prince Will Come.’”
During an interview at the D23 Expo, Zegler described Disney’s original Prince Charming as “a man who actively shadows [Snow White],” but it’s worth noting that the 22-year-old girl admits she’s only seen Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” one time.
“I mean, you know, the original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so,” Zegler said with an air of condescendence. “There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird. We didn’t do that this time. We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie. It’s one of those things that I think everyone’s going to have their assumptions about what it’s going to be, but it’s really not about the love story at all, which is really, really wonderful.”
Zegler continues to seem surprised that she is met with criticism, though she serves it up hot and fresh every chance she gets. Another comment she recently made about fans who don’t agree with all the changes to the original story in Disney’s 1937 film has only garnered even more criticism.
Per The Direct, Zegler “reminded audiences that ‘it’s no longer 1937’ and the Disney Princess was ‘not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.’” Once again, the self-promoting “actress” delivered her opinions with a mix of arrogance and condescendence that could nearly be trademarked.
“Such comments have made Snow White one of Disney’s most controversial live-action remakes–months ahead of its planned Spring 2024 release,” per The Direct. It seems there’s no end to Zegler’s retaliatory remarks, among other things, and now, Disney’s original plans for the release of the film have reportedly been shelved.
Matt Belloni, formerly at The Hollywood Reporter, writes posts for Puck, and he states that the Walt Disney Pictures release of Snow White, which was originally slated for March 22, 2024, will “almost certainly move off that date.” Per the Puck newsletter, Warner Bros. recently announced the delay of the release of Dune: Part Two from its original date of November 3, 2023, to March 15, 2024, because of the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes.
Because of the continued (and growing) controversy over Disney’s Snow White remake, there is concern that a release of the film just after the release of the Dune sequel “may not be ideal.”
Such a move would have the approval of one of Disney’s Imagineers, who boasts a more than 30-year tenure with the company. Earlier this month, long-time Walt Disney Imagineer Jim Shull made the suggestion that Disney scrap its plans for a theatrical release of the new Snow White film and opt, instead, for a direct-to-streaming release of the controversy-laden film on Disney+.
“Maybe TWDC should consider releasing the Rachel Ziegler starring role film on Disney+?” Shull offered. “The movie will be helping Disney+ because its content the streamer needs, while not becoming a cannon film in the Disney catalog.”
Another post at The Direct makes it clear that a delay is nearly inevitable, thanks to the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes. (It’s worth pointing out that Rachel Zegler also stepped in to lend a hand in the strikes, protesting against Disney–the very studio that gave her the role she “never imagined” she would get to play.) Snow White is also one of a string of Disney remakes that simply hasn’t lived up to the expectations of moviegoers.
At this point, Snow White could easily be a monumental flop at the box office, and a release delay might be the only thing that could potentially change the general consensus about the film–that and a change in the lead character’s very public aversion to fans of Disney’s classic films.
And regardless of Zegler’s disdain for those who disagree with her, a film’s success is measured on box office receipts–something that could be in rare supply, should the young “actress” continue her current streak of arrogance and harshness toward those who will ultimately make the decision that determines whether she’s seen as successful or sub-par: to buy the ticket or forgo the show.
Walt Disney Imagineering recently rediscovered a Snow White audio-animatronic that has been missing since the 1990s.
Now, Disney Parks will display the sculpted figure in a new exhibit honoring Walt Disney Animation Studios’ history as part of its Disney100 anniversary celebration. Since the beginning of Disneyland Park at WED Enterprises in 1955, Disney Imagineers have utilized special skills to transfer some of Disney fans’ favorite cinematic characters and settings to real-life counterparts at theme parks worldwide.
In fact, The Disney Gallery Presents: Disney 100 Years of Wonder exhibition, which recently opened, will display more than a hundred art pieces used in creating classic Disney films and 3D models, which form the foundation for their transformation from the screen to attraction, or attraction to the screen.
Moreover, the exhibition as assembled by Walt Disney Imagineering’s Executive Creative Director Kim Irvine, is the largest ever featured in the Main Street, U.S.A. gallery and extends to the entrance of The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Kim’s parents both have famous ties to the Walt Disney Company, and artwork from her father Harvey Toombs’ career as an animator on films like Dumbo (1941) features in the exhibit, along with an original animator’s desk and storyboards provided by the Walt Disney Archives.
If Harvey’s name sounds familiar, it’s likely because his wife and Kim’s mother, Leota Toombs, was integral to the creation of the original Haunted Mansion, even serving as the facial model for Madame Leota! The exhibit also focuses on Disneyland’s opening day history with an episode of The Wonderful World of Disney, its contributions to animation via a multiplane camera model, and a new piano version of “When you Wish Upon a Star.”
However, the piece Creative Development manager Dave Caranci was most excited about is a rediscovered sculpt of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Old Hag/Evil Queen, which he has searched for going on three years. Allegedly, the figure of the caged witch once found in shops across Main Street and Fantasyland between the 1980s and ’90s went missing towards the end of the 20th century, only for Caranci and Irvine to find her a few months ago while touring a company warehouse.
Caranci told Disney Parks Blog, “We know our Guests are going to be as excited to see her as we were,” which any visitor with valid Park admission and same-day reservation can do during the yearlong 100 Years of Wonder Celebration at the Disneyland Resort!
Last week, Disney hosted the D23 Expo, the ultimate fan event. At the Expo, Disney hosted so many great panels that let Guests hear from casts of upcoming films and series like The Santa Clauses, as well as past hits like Encanto. In addition, Disney hosted a Disney and Pixar film panel — where cameras were not allowed — and they shared more info on upcoming films like Snow White and Inside Out 2. They also announced that some new series would be coming down the pike — like The Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King.
The D23 Expo may have ended, but that does not mean that the news has stopped coming. While Disney announced a number of projects at the Expo, most of them did not have release dates — until now. Disney waited until this week to officially announce their slate, which includes the pushing back of the highly anticipated live-action film, The Haunted Mansion. The movie — which will star Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto — was supposed to be released on March 10, 2023, but will now premiere on August 11, 2023.
After The Haunted Mansion, Disney will release its newest animated feature, Wish. Disney also shared that Pixar’s next film Elio — the story of a young boy who meets aliens — will be released on March 1, 2024. That will be followed up by the highly-anticipated, but also highly controversial, live-action remake, Snow White on March 22, 2024. Next up? Disney announced that Mufasa will be released on July 5, 2024.
Here’s what we know about Mufasa: The Lion King — it will show the future king as he washed away in a flood. Alone and struggling, Mufasa must find a new pride to become a part of. The film will show that Mufasa was not born into royalty, he learned it. The series will also feature the popular sidekicks, Timon and Pumbaa — who will once again be voiced by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan.
As for Wish, the film will tell the story of Asha, who lives in the fairy tale kingdom called the Kingdom of Wishes. The film will show viewers the origin of the famous Wishing Star but, of course, not everything goes smoothly in this kingdom and Asha learns that there is a dark side to her idyllic home. West Side Story star Ariana DeBose will voice Asha.
In May, fans first saw West Side Story (2021) star Rachel Zegler as the Fairest of them All, Snow White. At D23 Expo Friday night, Zegler took the stage with her villainous costar Gal Gadot to share all-new details about the live-action remake of Snow White (2024), produced by Marc Platt and directed by Marc Webb.
In front of the newly-released Snow White logo, Zegler said it was an “honor” to bring the Disney Princess to the “modern age.” She explained it’s a story about “finding a sense of agency so she can be a just ruler and wonderful queen.”
Wonder Woman (2017) star Gadot said playing the Evil Queen was “very different than what I had done before. I am used to playing the other end of where the heart should be.”
Gadot called Evil Queen “so not me,” but said the character is an “iconic villain” and “getting under her skin was so delightful.”
With original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of La La Land (2016) fame and a screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson, Snow White will premiere in 2024. Andrew Burnap is set to portray the film’s all-new male lead, Jonathan.
