Disney’s Re-Think After ‘Woke’ Remake Backlash

DISNEY’S  ‘woke’ remake of its classic Snow White has faced a barrage of criticism, which has led to delays and a major re-think.

Last week, social media was alive with the revelation that Disney has postponed the release of its contentious live-action Snow White adaptation by a year, according to Fox News.

Claims That Backlash Caused Delay

The new version aims to reintroduce audiences to the enchanting universe of Snow White, featuring iconic characters like the Evil Queen and, notably, Grumpy, Happy Sneezy, Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, and  Dopey.’ Initially, the film was scheduled for a March 22, 2024 release.

Earlier in the year, leaked images appeared to depict Snow White’s seven saviours as ‘magical creatures’ rather than dwarves. The actors shown were a diverse mix of male and female, of different heights and races, very different to the original film. Although confirmed by Disney as production photos, they clarified these were ‘not official photos.’

However, a new image from Disney now shows Zegler as Snow White alongside seven CGI dwarves, very similar to the original 1937 animation. This conflicted with prior statements from Disney, indicating a switch from dwarves to ‘magical creatures’ in a bid to sidestep stereotypes. The initial criticism was voiced by ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Peter Dinklage, who said, ‘It makes no sense to me.’

Disney’s recent announcement, with the new image, has led many to believe that the delay is due to criticism over the movie’s progressive elements. The announcement read, ‘Disney’s Snow White—a live-action musical adaptation of the iconic 1937 film—is set to debut in theatres on March 21, 2025, starring Rachel Zegler.

Speculations Run Wild

Commentators have speculated that the new image and delay hinted at Disney’s move to abandon the politically correct elements due to public outcry.

One post tellingly observed:

1. ‘Disney debuts “woke” Seven Dwarves

2. Disney announces delay till 2025

3. Disney reverts to classic Seven Dwarves.’

Ian Miles Cheong, a conservative reporter, alleged, ‘Disney has almost completely rewritten its live-action Snow White film, with extensive reshoots. The movie has been delayed by a full year from March 22, 2024 to March 21, 2025.

‘Among the things that ended up on the cutting room floor are the ‘diverse’ dwarves, replaced now with CGI dwarves that look close to the original cartoon.’

Industry Reactions

Film expert Grace Randolph remarked, ‘Cleary redoing almost entire film Or at least replacing actors w/ CGI dwarves. Will it save movie? Because the budget will now be astronomically bigger.’

Journalist, Varad Mehta was more scathing and stated, ‘Yeah, they didn’t [delay] this because of the strike. They delayed it because they’re doing massive reshoots and/or it’ll take an extra year to replace the ‘diversity dwarves’ with CGI versions of the real Seven Dwarfs from the 1937 movie. What a disaster. Walt’s spinning.’