It started with the tabloid , which announced “exclusive” and “first” photos of Disney’s “Snow White” live-action remake. The tweet already gives direction – after all, it talks about “Snow White” and her seven … politically correct companions”. The article then especially mentions the very colorful and wildly mismatched clothing of the seven non-dwarves.
Of course, some conservative opinion makers are quick to heat up the mood with angry tweets. It was not just that six of the seven former dwarves are no longer dwarfs, but above all that the vote was again made against main actress Rachel Zegler. With her Colombian roots, the American actress, who is known for “West Side Story”, among other things, “does not have the snow-white skin” to which the character owes her name.
But first you have to be suspicious. Isn’t that Rachel Zegler in the picture? This created confusion about the pictures, while at the same time a shitstorm was raging that had actually only warmed up, which will certainly rage through the country a few more times until and after the theatrical release. Time to unravel this thing.
What are these photos anyway?
It is now quite easy to explain the initial confusion over the images. Shortly after the published the photos, an alleged statement from Disney circulated. The photos are fakes. But that was rectified soon after. Disney has now confirmed that this is footage from the “Snow White” production, but is not official footage. What does that mean now? Why isn’t Rachel Zegler here?
So-called stand-ins are often used during filming. Their job is to act in place of the stars to prepare everything for the shoot – for example, to set the right exposure for a scene. So it’s very likely that we’re seeing Zegler’s stand-in here. It is not known to what extent the costumes, especially those of Snow White’s seven companions, are definitive. But they should look the same.
Yes, there are no more dwarfs in the “Snow White” remake.
The costumes, which are certainly worthy of discussion, but may not be definitive, weren’t really the cause of the bone of contention. On the one hand, as I said, it was about Zegler’s skin color, which has been repeatedly discussed by certain parties since her casting more than two years ago. In addition, there was the question of why there are no more dwarfs – which is actually not an entirely new finding.
‘Game Of Thrones’ star Peter Dinklage, among others, criticized a remake of ‘Snow White’ early on: ‘On the one hand you’re progressive, but then you still make this damn retarded story about seven dwarfs. […]. Have I not achieved anything with my platform to move our cause forward?” said the actor, who is short himself, in a podcast in early 2022, making it clear that he feared that people of short stature would be portrayed in an offensive manner and belittled by an image that only served stereotypes.
Disney responded at the time by saying that they “took a very different approach to these seven characters”. In this context word, which was not confirmed by the mouse house, circulated that Snow White would now meet “seven magical creatures”.
“Snow White”: Spring 2024 in cinemas
The simple alone”Snow WhiteThe title film is expected to hit German cinemas on March 21, 2024. Until then, with the first official photos, trailers and other occasions, some people will surely be upset that there are no more seven dwarfs. We won’t find out until spring 2024 whether the modern retelling, which is said to differ from the famed original in many other respects, might have its own twist or end up being an obscure costume show of seven magical creatures.
In addition to Rachel Zegler, “Wonder Woman” Gal Gadot can also be seen as the evil queen. So far successful and celebrated actor Andrew Burnap, especially on the theater stage, plays the main character’s love interest with Jonathan. Directed by Marc Webb (“The Amazing Spider-Man”, “500 Days of Summer”). The screenplay is by the creator of Barbie, Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson (secretary).