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While there is still some time remaining, Disney is all set to release an adaptation of the famous Snow White (1937), adding a bit of change to the original setting and feel. Being one of Disney's most popular characters of all time, this reimagination of Snow White as a Latina princess (played by Rachel Zegler), along with a diverse group of seven individuals replacing the seven dwarves, has managed to stir up a culture war since the announcement.
Among the many who protested this radical change, David Hand, who worked as a designer for Disney in the 1990s and whose father, also named David Hand, was one of the directors of the original 1937 film, came out with his share of criticism for the film. He did not criticize Rachael Zegler directly, but made it quite clear that he does not agree with the film's logic of replacing the original character with a new and more aware version.
"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,...[Disney is] trying to do something new with something that was such a great success earlier. …"
He added:
"Their thoughts are just so radical now. They change the stories, they change the thought process of the characters, … they’re making up new woke things and I’m just not into any of that. I find it quite frankly a bit insulting [what] they may have done with some of these classic films. … There’s no respect for what Disney did and what my dad did. … I think Walt and he would be turning in their graves."
At 91 years old, it is understandable why Hand feels this way. However, there were also many younger people who protested this development.
Rachel Zegler defends her character in the new Snow White, says it's more "refreshing"
There have been several reimaginations of the famous Snow White, with a particularly infamous one starring Kristen Stewart. However, this is the first time it is receiving such a backlash, primarily because Disney is attempting to reshape the story and the characters, things that do not sit well with a vast majority of audiences.
Speaking to Vanity Fair earlier, Rachel Zegler defended her version of the character, saying:
"She’s not going to be dreaming about true love...She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true...."
She continued:
"People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White, where it’s like, yeah, it is — because it needed that,...People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White, where it’s like, yeah, it is — because it needed that."
Despite how this new version may turn this story into a more socially acceptable version, which sits well with the present time, plenty of fans are still against the idea of Snow White not being a white actor.
Snow White is set to premiere on March 22, 2024.
