Disney released the trailer for its live-action remake of “Snow White” earlier this week. For years, the movie’s development has drawn criticism and continues to spark debates just months before its release.
The film, a reimagining of the 1937 animated classic, dropped its first trailer on Tuesday, Dec. 3. The trailer’s release has reignited long-standing discussions about casting, representation and CGI. It also raises broader questions about how classic stories are updated for modern audiences.
A delayed production
The new “Snow White” is scheduled to hit theaters on March 21, 2025. Production faced delays due to multiple reshoots, though Disney has not disclosed the reasons. While reshoots don’t always spell trouble, the yearlong delay has fueled speculation about potential issues behind the scenes.
Casting debates
Casting for the film drew significant attention. Rachel Zegler, known for her role in West Side Story, took on the lead role. Critics online argued that Zegler, who is of Polish and Colombian descent, doesn’t match the original description of Snow White’s character as having skin “as white as snow.”
Zegler addressed the backlash in an interview with Variety, saying, “At the end of the day, I have a job to do that I’m really excited to do. I get to be a Latina princess.”
CGI and representation
Another point of contention was Disney’s depiction of the seven dwarves. The studio opted for CGI to create the characters, referring to them as “magical creatures” instead of dwarves.
Actor Peter Dinklage, a vocal advocate for representation, criticized the decision on a 2022 podcast. He called the remake “backwards” for continuing the traditional depiction of dwarves living in a cave.
In response to criticism, Disney released a statement to Good Morning America:
“To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community.”
Disney
Leaked set photos published by Daily Mail from July 2023 added to the conversation. The images showed Snow White alongside seven companions of different genders, ethnicities and heights, further highlighting the film’s departure from the original.
Disney originally dismissed the photos as fake, but later backtracked, saying the photos were “not official,” The Daily Beast reported.
The CGI debate
The trailer shifted attention to the film’s visual effects. The enchanted forest and film characters, rendered heavily with CGI, have drawn mixed reactions. Some viewers feel the CGI looks overly artificial, while others argue that strong storytelling could make up for any visual shortcomings.
This isn’t CGI’s first controversy. In 2020, Sonic’s character in “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” faced backlash over its original design. After fan criticism, the filmmakers redesigned Sonic to align more closely with its traditional look.
