Disney is hard at work on a live-action remake of Snow White following the lead of previous revamps like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. In some ways, it is a bit surprising that Disney waited as long as it has to do a remake of Snow White. After all, the original 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Disney’s very first animated feature, and thus it casts a long shadow over the company’s output ever since. Then again, perhaps Snow White’s status as perhaps the textbooks Disney Princess fairytale is why Disney has been hesitant to bring it to live-action.
The original Snow White is a landmark entry in the world of animated movies and is perhaps Disney’s signature production. So many aspects of Snow White influenced Disney movies that followed, so living up to its legacy will be challenging. Yet, that is exactly what today’s Disney team will now attempt to do with its upcoming live-action Snow White remake, a project that already looks set to both pay tribute to the classic tale while also making notable alterations. While the Disney live-action Snow White movie retains much of the original story and has costumes inspired by the animated classic, there will be some modern updates for Snow White herself.
Snow White
to the screen in live action. The most recent news out of Disney was that filming wrapped in July 2022 just before Rachel Zegler began filming
Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
. The first look at
Show White was presented at D23 Expo
later that year, but it wasn’t released outside the convention. Viewers were treated to a look at Snow White, her cottage, the Evil Queen, and the woods that form the primary setting for the movie. General audiences will have to wait to see the cast in action though.
Live-Action Snow White Release Date
In late 2022,
Disney announced a slew of release dates
for their upcoming movies over the next few years, including multiple live-action remakes. While
Mufasa: The Lion King
will hit theaters in July 2024,
Snow White
will land in theaters before that, and is scheduled for release on March 22, 2024.
Disney’s Live-Action Snow White Cast
Stepping into the director’s chair for Disney’s live-action
Snow White
remake is Marc Webb, known for the
Amazing Spider-Man
movies starring Andrew Garfield. Penning the script is Greta Gerwig, who also co-wrote Margot Robbie’s upcoming
Barbie
movie, along with Erin Cressida Wilson, who wrote the Julianne Moore thriller
Chloe
.The full cast for Disney’s live-action
Snow White
remake wasn’t announced, but key roles were, including the lead. Rachel Zegler, who played Maria in Steven Spielberg’s remake of
West Side Story
, will star as Snow White. While Zegler is still a rising name, adding some bigger star power to the
Snow White
cast is Gal Gadot, who is set to play the
dastardly villain the Evil Queen
, also commonly referred to as the Wicked Queen. Broadway star Andrew Burnap will portray a new love interest character named Jonathan, who is described as Robin Hood-esque. Finally, Martin Klebba —a veteran of the
Pirates of the Caribbean
franchise — will play Grumpy.
Martin Klebba has actually appeared in multiple
Snow White
adaptations in the past. He appeared in 2012’s
Mirror, Mirror
, and 2001’s
Snow White: The Fairest Of Them All.
Though he was announced as cast as Grumpy, following Peter Dinklage’s criticism of
Snow White’s
treatment of the seven dwarves being backward in the many adaptations that came before, Klebba is now also listed as a technical advisor for the movie instead of an actor. Klebba, however, confirmed his
casting himself at Denver Expo in 2022
and had already finished filming his scenes at the time.
Snow White Story: How The Live-Action Remake Will Update Disney’s Classic
In the original story of
Snow White
, the princess is targeted by her stepmother because of her vanity. Snow White is beloved and termed “the fairest of them all” by a magic mirror. The Evil Queen sends a huntsman after Snow White, who ends up escaping into the woods and living with seven dwarfs who mine gemstones. When the queen eventually tracks her down, a poisoned apple sends Snow White into an enchanted sleep that can only be awakened by true love’s kiss. Much of that story is expected to make it into the live-action remake, but
there will be some changes to Snow White
. As one might expect, the
Snow White
story will be made much more in line with modern sensibilities for Disney’s live-action remake. Snow White will no longer be a helpless damsel in distress needing to be saved by a handsome prince’s kiss. In fact, she will go to battle alongside Jonathan, her love interest for the movie. There is not much currently revealed about the story, but many of its more iconic Disney princess movie aspects are expected to remain largely the same. However, following the criticism of past portrayals of dwarfism in
Snow White
adaptations by Peter Dinklage,
Disney said the seven dwarfs
will be getting an overhaul.
The Liva-Action Snow White Is Still A Musical
Because the live-action adaptation is based on the original Disney animated movie, it will also be a musical. The original movie features Snow White’s standouts “Whistle While You Work” and “Someday My Prince Will Come.” The music of the original movie is expected to be featured in the new movie as well, but there will also be new songs created just for the live-action adaptation. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul worked on music for the movie. Their previous credits include
Dear Evan Hansen
,
The Greatest Showman
,
La La Land
, and
Spirited
.
There’s No Live-Action Snow White Trailer Yet
Though brief footage was shared at D23, fans are a long way off from getting to see a trailer for the movie. It’s likely a teaser will drop for the movie in about the same time frame that Disney utilized to tease their
The Little Mermaid adaptation
. A teaser trailer for the movie debuted eight months before the theatrical release date. That means August 2023 is a good bet for a
Snow White
trailer.
