Disney Confirms All-New ‘Snow White’ Storyline Following Movie Delay

in Disney, Entertainment

Zegler and animated Snow White

Credit: Inside the Magic

Heigh ho, heigh ho, there’s a new Snow White story on the go! It appears that Disney has green lit an all-new retelling of Snow White based on the upcoming live-action, which will be released in 2025.

snow-white-seven-dwarfs-dancing
Credit: Disney

Disney has been on a mission to transform their animated hits into live-action spectacles for years, and Snow White will be the next big theatrical release in 2024.

Nearly a decade ago, The Walt Disney Company embarked on a mission to reimagine its classic animated films with live-action adaptations. Over the years, audiences have witnessed numerous beloved Disney tales receive modern retellings, showcasing stunning visual effects and enhancements.  Recent examples include The Lion King (2019), The Jungle Book (2016), and Cinderella (2015), each offering a fresh perspective on timeless stories. Recently, Peter Pan & Wendy joined the roster of “live-action” adaptations, debuting on Disney+. Additionally, Disney revisited its iconic Haunted Mansion attraction with the 2023 release of Haunted Mansion, marking a second attempt to bring the spooky tale to life on the big screen.

Alongside these adaptations, films like Beauty and the Beast, featuring Harry Potter star Emma Watson, and Pirates of the Caribbean, led by Johnny Depp, have made waves at the box office, revitalizing classic narratives for contemporary audiences.

Recently, the upcoming live-action adaptation of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, sparked controversy among fans.

Two key issues fueled outrage surrounding the film. Firstly, the decision to replace the iconic seven dwarfs with seven magical creatures diverged from Walt Disney’s original depiction of the story on screen. Secondly, in an interview, Zegler and Gadot suggested that Snow White would not have a “prince charming” (Andrew Burnap) and would not require rescuing.

Snow White in bed with the seven dwarves staring at her.
Credit: Disney

Related: Live-Action ‘Bambi’ Movie Takes New Controversial Approach, Mocks Disney

Overall, the storyline will change, as the original title of the film no longer includes “and the Seven Dwarfs”, and as we have seen from set photos, the “prince” has a group of bandits, characters we have never seen in the original film.

These revelations led fans to accuse Disney of altering the essence of the classic tale and creating a pseudo-feminist narrative that undermines traditional ideals associated with Snow White. Some argue that this narrative could potentially present a skewed perspective, portraying Snow White’s attributes and behaviors as flawed and promoting an agenda that clashes with the traditional fairy tale archetype. The perceived imposition of a “woke” agenda by Disney further fueled the discontent among fans.

Snow White
Credit: Edited by Inside The Magic

Related: Disney’s Controversial ‘Snow White’ Update Reveals New Cast and Characters

On September 15, 2022, the film was announced to have a release date of March 22, 2024. However, in October 2023, the film was delayed a year to March 21, 2025, with Disney claiming it was due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Now, Snow White fan account Snow White News (@SnowWhiteNews) is claiming that a live-action novelization has been confirmed. It will be written by Elizabeth Rudnick, who Disney has used to write other live-action novelizations in the past. That being said, this rendition will be interesting as previous live-action films have not heavily deviated from the storyline of the original animation as much as Snow White is expected to.

🚨: Author Elizabeth Rudnick will write the ‘Snow White Live Action Novelization!”

She previously wrote novelizations for Aladdin, Maleficent, Beauty and the Beast and more!

It is currently unknown when the book will release but it is 272 pages long!

Since the page count is already confirmed, it appears that this novel is ready to go, however, a release date has not been confirmed. With the film facing such a heavy delay, it would make sense to not see the novel released until 2025 as to avoid any plot spoilers that Snow White will bring.

The film did face cancelation rumors, as well as allegations that Disney replaced Zegler as Snow White, and when the film was so heavily delayed, more discussion around the possibility emerged. That being said, Disney had then dropped an image from the movie, which shows Rachel Zegler in the Snow White dress surrounded by the magical creatures, whom all seem to be CGI (as seen in the X above).

For more updates on Snow White, be sure to follow Inside the Magic.

Are you excited to see the upcoming plot changes in Snow White? 

 

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