"He said portray them like complicated human beings not stereotypes" - Twitter and Peter Dinklage against Disney's Snow White

By Samadrita Roy

Modified Jul 18, 2023 15:25 GMT

Disney's live-action remake of the popular animated classic Snow White has been under fire for replacing the dwarves with 'magical creatures' of all sizes and genders. Directed by Marc Webb, the upcoming musical is loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale by the same name.

However, a recent story by the title Snow White and the Seven...Politically-Correct Companions published by The Daily Mail showcased some images from the Bedfordshire sets of Disney's Snow White. The images were dated July 13, 2023, and showcased a diverse set of people instead of dwarves, triggering criticism from conservative Twitter users.

A tweet reply to DanDDoes post (Image via Twitter)

The movie has been embroiled in controversy ever since its announcement, after which Game of Thrones (2011–2019) actor, Peter Dinklage, criticised the remake for being "hypocritically woke."

Dinklage's comment resurfaces as Snow White casts actors from diverse backgrounds

The casting of Rachel Zegler in the titular role led to quite the backlash last year, with fellow Disney princess Halle Bailey coming forward to back her up. The 22-year-old American actor of Columbian-Polish descent was not readily accepted as the right fit for Snow White by conservatives.

DanDDoes post about Snow White (Image via Twitter)

With the recent leak of pictures from the set, Disney is once again under pressure for casting actors of diverse ethnicities, heights, and genders instead of actors from the dwarf community. The change in the approach was allegedly fueled by Peter Dinklage's comments on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast after the announcement of the remake last year:

"Not to get too political about it, but it's a stereotype that still exists. Dwarf tossing still exists. There are still people of my size dressing up as elves at Christmas time. And if everybody continues to do that, then it won't stop. But my daughter doesn't think I'm a mythical creature. Unicorns don't exist, but I do. It's tricky, what we put out there, to perpetuate for future generations.

Disney responded to Dinklage's criticism last year by saying:

"To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community."

The photos from the set have resulted in an eruption of criticism from Twitter users who believe that there are double standards within the production itself.

Many jumped to criticize Dinklage for his comments, as they believed that he was trying to subdue potential competition.

Some fans in the comment section decided not to pick a side.

The reason for the uproar was due to the lack of clarity regarding whether there was a dearth of actors from the dwarf community or whether the move was simply a desperate attempt to have a diverse cast.

The Snow White adaptation rewritten by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson will be released on March 22, 2024, with Gal Gadot playing the Evil Queen.

Edited by Siddharth Satish