As of now, Snow White is scheduled to be released on March 24, 2024, but the buzz surrounding the upcoming film hasn’t been all too great thus far. The original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was what originally put the Disney brand on the map. The synopsis of the first film is below:
Jealous of Snow White’s beauty, the wicked queen orders the murder of her innocent stepdaughter, but later discovers that Snow White is still alive and hiding in a cottage with seven friendly little miners. Disguising herself as a hag, the queen brings a poisoned apple to Snow White, who falls into a death-like sleep that can be broken only by a kiss from the prince.
The premise is pretty simple, yet Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs tells a beautiful love story with some of the best characters Disney has created. The new and updated version of Snow White can end up being something truly great. But on the surface, Snow White appears to be a misguided attempt at changing the source material that should be left alone.
The Seven Dwarfs Controversy
One of the most notable issues is the lack of seven dwarfs. This actually started with Peter Dinklage, who didn’t hold back on his anger when he heard about the casting of seven dwarfs for the upcoming film:
“Literally no offense to anything, but I was sort of taken aback,” he said on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. “They were very proud to cast a Latino actress as Snow White, but you’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me. You’re progressive in one way, but you’re still making that fucking backward story about seven dwarfs living a cave together. Have I done nothing to advance the cause from the soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough.”
Dinklage’s comments were greatly misguided. The actor has definitely overcome hurdles throughout his career in order to become a big name in Hollywood, but the Disney characters are not mocking people with dwarfism. It’s fiction. These a mythical creatures who are given distinct personalities that help aid Snow White and her journey overall. The dwarfs are a huge part of the reason the film is so memorable because their characters are well-written.
The Seven Dwarfs Controversy Actually Prevented Diverse Actors From Getting A Big Role
Oddly enough, Dinklage complaining about Disney’s attempt to bring the characters to life hinders actors with dwarfism. In truth, the upcoming Snow White looks like a mess. The onset pictures released didn’t look good. There are seven characters that were supposed to be dwarfs, but they lack the magical essence of the original fantasy film.
Short actors still struggle to get cast in Hollywood. The seven dwarfs were layered roles that could’ve allowed those actors to truly shine in the upcoming Disney remake. Instead, the new characters replacing the dwarfs look like pirates fresh out of Broadway. Onset photos are supposed to be exciting and intriguing, and Snow White comes across as a fan film or a hokey stage play.
The Changing Of The Original Story
Snow White won’t be the first live-action film to change the story a bit for modern times. Most notably, The Jungle Book and Mulan did this, but the key factor is that the overall themes and messages remain intact. Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella didn’t change much, and though some of the rules were outdated, those films were still highly regarded because they brought the classic films to life. Snow White herself – Rachel Zegler – has made several comments about the live-action film and it doesn’t appear that it’ll be about love.
In fact, Zegler has demonized Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by stating that the Prince in the film was a “stalker”. Disney is taking a huge gamble by veering left from the original story. There is nothing wrong with displaying a story about true love; however, this is 2023, so everything must be politically correct.
Disney is already in hot water because their political messages are one of the reasons that their recent string of films have flopped at the box office. There’s not wrong with modernizing Snow White a bit, but fans are paying to relive the classic elements of the original film. Hopefully, Snow White turns out to be something truly great that appeases old and new fans, though all the information that’s come out so far says that this will ultimately be another flop.
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