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When photos were leaked of the Snow White live-action remake, there was an uproar. Many were upset that seven dwarfs had been replaced. Others were upset at the diverse casting choice and decried the film as “another woke failure.” Disney’s PR team went into crisis mode, trying to change the narrative. They issued a statement saying that they’d reached out to The Daily Mail (the original publisher of the photos) to correct the “misinterpretation.” Disney’s problems did not end there, however.
Credit: Splashnews.com and Daily Mail
Once the PR team started attempting to sway public opinion, Disney couldn’t seem to keep its story straight. When the story first broke, a Disney spokesperson said, “The photos are fake and not from our production. We are currently trying to have the Daily Mail issue a correction.” Then they confirmed that they were from the production but not official. Finally, they confirmed that they are photos from the production and much of the cast is depicted but featured two stand-ins for film stars Rachel Zegler and Andrew Burnap.
Disney says the photos were “post-production photography.” In a nutshell, that basically means that they’re shooting promotional photos. These will be turned into a variety of things during the film’s marketing phase; movie posters are one example. Zegler and Brunop will be depicted in these materials, but their images will be photoshopped into the images at a later date. The stars’ absence from these photo shoots is pretty standard practice.
Credit: Disney
The waffling statements are a cause of much speculation. Many have wondered why Disney would outright deny the photos and then essentially claim, “Well yeah, it’s our set but not the cast,” and then, “ok, fine. It’s our cast but not the whole cast.” The question has been asked, “Why not just own it and proudly say “yes! This is the story we are pleased to bring to you”? So far, Disney has not responded to any questions regarding their conflicting statements.
It’s possible they weren’t ready to release the massive changes to the story yet. Many feel that as the first feature animation film in history. It’s sacrosanct and should be left alone.
I adore Rachel Zegler but this film should not be happening. Period.
Some things are actually untouchable and Walt Disney's first full-length animated film that captivated millions and sparked a century of amazing storytelling is one of them.
— Disney Glimpses (@disneyglimpses) July 14, 2023
After having announced that the seven dwarves would now be seven magical creatures (which, honestly, didn’t we all already assume that anyway), they may have wanted to keep further details under wraps. The photos showing normal-height people sparked quite a controversy. The hashtag #gowokegobroke is trending on Twitter, with people decrying the casting. Conversely, many are concerned the film is insensitive to the dwarfism community. Disney may have been trying to find ways to ease both of these concerns before going public with the images.
The film’s modern take on a classic film has wrapped up filming and is in the post-production phase. It is currently set to hit theaters on March 22, 2024. The film promises a different take on the tale, which is something remake-fatigued Disney fans have been asking for. Details on the film are scarce for now, but we will be sure to bring you all the details when they emerge.
