Inside curse of Disney’s crisis hit Snow White remake with dwarf row, ‘woke’ backlash and co-stars’ bitter war of words
IT has been a classic fairytale for more than two centuries, crafted by folklore icons the Brothers Grimm, its beautiful lead character blazing a trail as Disney’s first ever princess.
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs’ adaptation to the big screen in 1937 was a huge success, with the Evil Queen who asked her magic mirror “Who’s the fairest of them all” setting the standard for the female cartoon villain.
But the reboot of Disney’s landmark animation has become the bad apple in the studio’s portfolio after being mired in one controversy after another.
The film is set for release next spring, yet behind its glitzy trailer, which dropped this month, it has been engulfed by race, sexism and political rows in a woke landscape the late Walt Disney could never have imagined.
The dwarfs have been ditched for CGI versions amid claims of stereotyping, Snow White actress Rachel Zegler slammed the original film “creepy and stalker-ish”, and Disney was blasted for casting a part-Latina star in the main role.
To make things worse, Zegler, 23, and Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, are at loggerheads on social media over their opposing political views on the Israel-Hamas war.
It has prompted calls for a boycott of the movie by Palestinian supporters.
Branding expert Carla Speight believes Disney bosses will be “mortified” over the rows.
Massive delays
She said: “I don’t know if this film is a victim of wokery or entitlement with the stars trying to outdo each other by being the first to say something progressive.
“They are arguing and in-fighting over a cartoon that is meant to encapsulate the magic of Disney. The producers will be mortified by this.
“It’s literally a fairytale and films are supposed to be an escape, not a platform for political movements.
“From a PR point of view I wouldn’t know how to unpick all of the controversy around it at a time when people should be getting excited about the release.”
Filming was soured from the start, when Disney faced a backlash for casting Zegler, who rose to fame in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 film West Side Story, as Snow White.
Traditionalists argued that the main character was described as having “skin as white as snow” — a fact soon hijacked by American far-right extremists on social media.
In a since-deleted tweet, defiant Zegler wrote: “Yes I am Snow White. No, I am not bleaching my skin for the role.”
After being praised for courageously sticking up for herself, Zegler then provoked the wrath of the anti-woke brigade in a rant over the original version of Snow White.
There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird! So we didn’t do that this time
Rachel Zegler on the original Snow White
In September 2022, she called the 1930s movie “creepy” and referred to Prince Charming as a “stalker”.
She then told ExtraTV: “There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird! So 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.”
Zegler even joked that co-star Andrew Burnap — who replaces the Prince in Snow White as lead male character Jonathan — could be cut in the new version as her princess becomes empowered.
“All of Andrew’s scenes could get cut, who knows?,” she said. “It’s Hollywood, baby!”
Zegler’s comments saw the actress heavily condemned on social media, where she was called out as a “pseudo feminist”.
In one TikTok viewed more than ten million times, @cosywithangie said: “Criticising Disney princesses is not feminist.
Oscars snub
“Not every woman is a leader. Not every woman wants to be a leader. Not every woman wants or craves power and that’s okay.”
In another video, one poster said: “Just because a woman values something different does not make her any less valuable.”
A third TikToker @nuttybutter96 asked Zegler: “If you hate the original this much, why would you want to make the remake?”
Zegler’s comments came six months after she caused a furore over an Oscars snub.
The outspoken actress, whose mum Gina has Colombian ancestry and dad Craig is of Polish heritage, let the world know on Instagram that she hadn’t received an Academy Award invite despite being the break-out young star of West Side Story.
Amid the embarrassment, bosses quickly invited her to present an award after the film was nominated for seven accolades, including Best Picture.
The £279million live-action Snow White remake has also faced massive delays.
It was due to release this year but was pushed back, with Disney blaming the 2023 actors’ strikes for the decision.
Cynics pointed to reshoots following Zegler’s controversial remarks.
It makes no sense to me. You’re progressive in one way and you’re still making that f***ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together
Peter Dinklage
It wasn’t long before producers found themselves wrong-footed again, when Game Of Thrones star Peter Dinklage called the whole project “f***ing backwards”.
He said: “I was a little taken aback when they (Disney) were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White but you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
“It makes no sense to me. You’re progressive in one way and you’re still making that f***ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f*** are you doing, man?
“Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough?”
His concerns were backed by some charities, including the Restricted Growth Association in the UK — but, in a twist, the Golden Globe winner was slammed by other short people actors.
‘Victim of wokery’
Dylan Postl, who wrestled under the name Hornswoggle in WWE for ten years and also acted in The Muppets, said the movie had become a victim of wokery.
He said: “It makes me sick to the stomach to think that there are seven roles for dwarfs that can’t get normal acting roles, or very few and far between roles, and now they are gone because of this guy.
“Peter Dinklage is the biggest dwarf actor probably of all time, but it doesn’t make him king dwarf.
“When he was cast in a little person role in Lord of the Rings or in Game of Thrones or in Elf or this or that or the other thing . . . those cheques cashed just fine.
“He had no issue then. But now he wants to be progressive? Come on, man.”
Last summer, pictures of filming for Snow White in Bedfordshire featured seven small person actors of very diverse backgrounds, but Disney has since reversed its decision and is using computer- generated images instead.
It has also ditched Seven Dwarfs in the title — referring to them as “magical creatures” instead.
Yet they still carry the original names of Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy.
As this month’s trailer dropped, the film’s two main stars remain embroiled in an online war over the conflict in Palestine.
Some groups are calling for movie-goers to boycott the film because it stars Israeli-born Gadot, who has been vocal about her support for her country.
In November last year — a month after the horrific attacks on Israeli innocents — Gadot organised a screening of a 47-minute docu-film about the atrocity for Hollywood celebrities and other prominent figures.
Bearing Witness featured graphic clips from Hamas bodycams and mobile phones as they slaughtered 1,189 people, including children and babies.
Earlier this month Zegler posted the new Snow White trailer on her own social media channels and in a tweet wrote: “And always remember, free Palestine.”
Days later Gadot’s X account briefly reposted a tweet that read: “Trying to campaign on the head of your co-star, who actually lives through war, just so you’ll look cooler with the kids is really pathetic.”
Carla Speight says the bitter war of words between the two main stars of Snow White will not only ramp up problems for Disney, it will damage their careers.
She said: “Anyone with a corporate profile should try to remain neutral when big movies are due to be released.
“They are allowed their own views, of course, but whether you should express them in public is another matter.
“I think this will damage the careers of both women because, whatever side they are on, there will be those who disagree.”
Carla also believes Zegler is being selective with the parts of the original fairytale she endorses.
She said: “What’s most baffling about Rachel Zegler is that she didn’t like the idea of a prince and Snow White living happily ever after but she was fine with animals and birds helping clean up a house she effectively broke into, where she ended up living with three men who are complete strangers. Either you’re all in with the old version of Snow White or you’re not.
“Sure, there’s a lot of references ‘of the time’ that should be dropped but why the Prince and the happily ever after storyline? It’s just a fairytale after all.
“This film will make all remakes questionable because of the arguments around it. Sometimes it’s best just leaving iconic films alone.”
Was it a true story?
SNOW White was Disney’s first foray into full-length movies and its 1937 release took more than £6MILLION.
It started the golden age of animation and, in 1939, Walt Disney was awarded an honorary Oscar – one main statue and seven miniatures – for the film.
The story of the innocent princess, her wicked stepmother queen and the prince who awakens her from sleep with a kiss, made its way into a Brothers Grimm fairytale book in 1812.
The tale could originate from the real-life story of countess Margaretha von Waldeck.
Her strict stepmother sent her to the court of Mary of Hungary, where she was pursued by Philip II of Spain.
They were banned from seeing each other because he was Catholic and she was a Lutheran.
Before Margaretha’s death in 1554, aged 21, she wrote to her father about her failing health.
He was convinced she had been poisoned.
Margaretha’s father owned copper mines where most workers were children and allegedly called “poor dwarfs”.
Locals in Bergfreiheit, a settlement in Northern Hess, Germany, that was home to Margaretha’s family, believe the story is correct and now call it Snow White village.