5 major differences between the Snow White live action and the animated movie

Directed by Marc Webb and based on Disney’s animated movie from 1937, in itself based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale, Snow White is a modern live-action remake of the classic tale of good and evil. The movie features Rachel Zegler in the titular role of Snow White and Gal Gadot in the role of the evil stepmother and queen.

The movie focuses on the adventures of the titular princess, who is mistreated by her stepmother and decides to become friends with seven dwarfs and a bandit to free her kingdom from the clutches of the evil queen and regain her rightful throne.

The movie was released on March 21, 2025, and is gaining mixed reviews. However, as a modern retelling, the film has changed some of the classic plot points from the animated movie, and here is a quick list of how the live-action remake and the animated film are different.

The difference over the evil queen's death, Snow White's journey to become a powerful leader, and other differences between the live-action and the animated Snow White movie

1) The origin story of Snow White’s name is different in the animated movie and the live-action remake.

The animated movie, Snow White, is closer in accuracy to the Brothers Grimm fairytale, and it is portrayed that Snow White’s name refers to her “skin being white as snow”. However, in the Marc Webb directorial, the reasoning behind the titular character’s name is attributed to the weather present on the night of her birth.

It is shown early in the movie that the princess was born in the evening when a blizzard was sweeping through the land, and the whole kingdom was covered in snow and ice.

2) The Evil Queen’s death is different in both versions of the movie

In the animated movie, Snow White’s evil stepmother and queen is shown to meet her end when the dwarfs chase her up a cliff and while the queen tries to move a boulder towards the dwarfs to hurt them, a lightning bolt strikes the ledge on which she is standing and the queen falls to her death.

However, in the live-action remake, after Snow White pardons her stepmother, the queen goes back to her room in the castle, where the Magic Mirror says that the princess's beauty is superior because of her inner goodness, and that is why the queen will never be able to surpass her. Angry at this, the evil queen smashes the mirror, which disintegrates her into ashes, and she gets pulled into a magic vortex.

3) There is a difference over how the princess's parents are portrayed

In the animated movie, the protagonist’s parents are not mentioned, and the movie begins in a storybook fashion. It mentions that the princess had a wicked stepmother who was jealous of the princess’s beauty and to keep her beauty lower than hers, the stepmother decided that she would force Snow White to dress in rags and make her do hard work and menial jobs.

In the live-action movie, it is portrayed that Snow White was born to a noble king and queen, who taught Snow White to love others and share with them. However, when her mother dies of an illness, the wicked stepmother marries the king and sends him away beyond the kingdom, beginning the mistreatment of the princess in the process.

4) The princess does not clean the dwarf’s cottage in the live-action movie

The animated movie portrays the princess as being scared and lost, and when she finds the dwarfs’ cottage, she decides to clean up the place for them so that they will let her stay. Therefore, when the dwarfs come back from work, they are surprised to see the princess in their abode, but agree to let her stay when they see that she has cleaned and cooked for them.

However, the new movie does not perpetrate the notion that girls have to clean and cook to earn favor, and therefore, when Snow White arrives at the cottage, she simply falls asleep. The dwarfs find her and let her stay with them so that she stays out of trouble. In the song, Whistle While You Work, everyone cleans up the home instead.

5) The princess in the live-action remake is not waiting for her one true love but dreams of being a leader.

Disney animated movies have received criticism for portraying young girls and women in dependent roles in their movies over the years and showcasing them as damsels in distress, who need a charming prince or a man to end their woes.

The 2025 movie makes it clear that the princess wants to become a powerful leader and wrest control from her wicked stepmother to be a fearless leader for her kingdom’s people. The song, Someday My Prince Will Come, is replaced by Waiting On A Wish, which has empowering lyrics.

Viewers are welcome to go through the list and check out the difference between the animated movie and the live-action remake.

Edited by Gio Vergara