Disney is delaying the release of its live-action remake of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler, by a full year to 2025 as the studio contends with widespread negative publicity that has surrounded the production in recent months.
Snow White is now slated to open in cinemas March 21, 2025. The big-budget production was previously scheduled for release on March 22, 2024.
Disney has not issued an official reason for the delay. The studio didn’t even blame the ongoing Hollywood actors’ strike, which could have been used as a convenient cover story.
Snow White has faced a deluge of negative publicity that began when unauthorized on-set photos were leaked showing the movie’s purported “seven dwarves” played by a multi-racial and gender-diverse cast of grungy hipsters. Only one of the “dwarfs” actually appeared to be an actual dwarf.
The photos set off a social media tidal wave of mockery.
On Friday, Disney released the first official still photo from the movie, showing the heroine surrounded by what appears to be seven dwarfs, all of whom appear to be computer animated.
First look at Disney’s live-action #SnowWhite, starring Rachel Zegler https://t.co/mzMiovCKPx pic.twitter.com/iwdwOunHWs
— Variety (@Variety) October 27, 2023
It remains unclear who the characters are in the previous leaked photos — or if they will still be seen in the final cut.
The film’s negative publicity also stems from star Rachel Zegler, who created a PR disaster for Disney after old videos resurfaced showing the actress pompously insulting the original 1937 Snow White, claiming that the Prince character is a creepy stalker and that women no longer crave romance.
“It’s no longer 1937,” the actress smugly declared.
“She’s not gonna to be saved by the prince, and she’s not gonna be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be, and the leader her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true.”
In August on the SAG-AFTRA picket line, Zegler demanded to be “paid for every hour” that the Disney film is streamed.
“I’m if gonna stand there 18 hours in a dress of an iconic Disney princess, I deserve to be paid for every hour that it’s streamed online.”
The new Snow White is the most insufferable woman I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/U1swu4roRl
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 2, 2023
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