Backtracking? Disney reintroduces the seven dwarfs and delays the premiere of the live-action 'Snow White'

The seven dwarfs are back. Disney seems to have reversed one of the decisions that sparked controversy around its live-action version of the children's classic “Snow White.” In the first official images from the new film, Snow White, played by Rachel Zegler, can be seen surrounded by the famous seven dwarfs.

Some initial photos leaked in July showed a Snow White who did not have "skin white as snow" (as originally described in the film and on Disney's website), nor did she live with seven dwarfs. They had been replaced by seven "friends." Each one seemed to represent a different culture and ethnicity:

Disney first claimed that the images were fake, but ultimately admitted that they were real, although clarifying that they were unofficial snapshots. The company had previously announced that it would introduce the seven "magical creatures" to "avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film" after consulting "members of the dwarfism community."

In the official statement with the first images from the film, Disney did not comment on the change. However, it did emphasize that it would feature "recognizable characters such as the Evil Queen and, of course, Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, Sleepy and Doc." The company also did not explain why it decided to delay the release of the film by one year. It is now scheduled to hit theaters on March 21, 2025.

The controversies behind Disney's 'Snow White'

It is speculated that one of the main reasons for the delay could be the strike by actors in Hollywood, and which also caused the delay of the Pixar film “Elio.” But there are other people who believe it could be due to Disney's fear that the controversy will affect the film’s performance at the box office, as happened with other major releases in 2023.

The criticism against this new version of the animated classic has been increasing. Among those who first spoke out against the woke version of “Snow White” was the son of the original film's director, David Hand: "It’s a whole different concept, and I just totally disagree with it, and I know my dad and Walt would also very much disagree with it. I think it’s pathetic that people feel that way... these are art forms in the world of film today."

The controversy grew to the point that conservative platform Bentkey announced its own version of the Brothers Grimm tale. “Snow White and the Evil Queen” —in which Snow White indeed has "skin white as snow" and will feature seven dwarfs— will be released on March 22, 2024.

More changes on the horizon?

If Disney hoped that the reintroduction of the seven dwarfs would alleviate criticism, it does not seem to have achieved its objective. The production company's wobbles, especially the delay of the premiere, have led users on social media to speculate that the company could even be thinking about rewriting most of the script.

Rachel Zegler, the focus of criticism

From the beginning, the actress chosen to play Snow White helped fuel the controversy. Rachel Zegler's latest controversy occurred during an interview with The Wrap, in which the performer maintained that she had been the target of criticism due to her "outspokenness."

Zegler was criticized, first, for some statements during the Hollywood strike: "If I’m going to stand there 18 hours in a dress of an iconic Disney princess, I deserve to be paid for every hour that it is streamed online." She later criticized the original version of the film—which she confessed she had seen only once—and lashed out at those who reproached her for her continuous attacks on the classic version of the story.