Disney’s first Princess has been the studio’s prized possession since the first full-feature debut in 1937, but the uphill battle for the live-action adaptation has resulted in the reception for Disney’s Snow White being overwhelmingly negative. The story adapts the cherished story for a contemporary audience, and does so through numerous updates to both the plot and characterizations. With that in mind, this has only caused multiple controversies to plague the Rachel Zegler-led Snow White since its announcement back in 2022, which has led to a less-than-favorable box office run for Disney’s Snow White remake.

There is always intense pressure around any Disney live-action remake, but Snow White had an added weight of responsibility as Disney’s first animated theatrical release. In the myriad of new properties from the studio, Snow White has maintained its ranking as one of the studio’s most iconic films, which has seen many spin-offs and live-action adaptations over the years. While the focus has been on Zegler and Gal Gadot, the issues with the Snow White remake are more complex, and they each played a role in Disney’s Snow White‘s downfall.

The CGI Dwarfs Were A Major Criticism Surrounding Snow White Well Before The Movie Released

The Seven Dwarfs’ Casting (Or Lack Thereof) Was Incredibly Decisive From The Beginning

Disney’s announcement that Snow White‘s Seven Dwarfs would be CGI-generated instantly divided audiences for many reasons. The controversy began as a result of the live-action marketing, as well as the studio’s decision not to cast actors in the roles. This backlash intensified in 2023, after the first trailer for Disney’s Snow White revealed a look at the animated characters — Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Dopey, Bashful, Sleepy, and Sneezy. The teaser only exacerbated many of the criticisms that the movie was already subject to, as the film portrayed a harmful depiction of the Seven Dwarfs, and confirmed they are a “fantastical” race.

There is a consensus that Disney’s Snow White was progressive in one regard, but it overlooked one of the film’s central aspects. As you would expect, the absence of actors for the Seven Dwarfs eliminates a major opportunity for talented actors with dwarfism. Several actors challenged the studio’s decision in the lead-up to Snow White‘s premiere, including activist Peter Dinklage, who frequently uses his platforms to advocate for people with dwarfism. Dinklage heavily criticized the movie’s double standards, having cast Rachel Zegler as the leading protagonist, but “still making that f****** backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together.“

Snow White’s Live-Action Story Was Very Disjointed

Disney’s Snow White Updated Many Elements Of The 1937 Original Plot

Disney’s Snow White made many changes to the 1937 motion picture by modernizing the earlier narrative. Even though some updates had merit, the overall narrative became mostly disjointed. For the most part, it feels as though the live-action remake overextends itself in terms of the main story. Above all else, Disney’s Snow White creates an entirely new third act that goes beyond proving Jonathan can bring Snow White back to life with a true love kiss. However, it doesn’t offer much else new to the story after this, and concludes in a similar way to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The incorporation of new content resulted in some pacing problems for Disney’s Snow White, too. It makes the story feel less developed or engaging, as the film rushes through a lot of its backstory yet lingers on other unnecessary moments — such as the incorporation of its new songs. Not to mention, some of the additional elements to the plot felt redundant and confusing, which contributed to the movie feeling somewhat disconnected. The most obvious example is perhaps Snow White’s father, or the inclusion of the group of “bandits,” whose purpose seemed unclear at times because they weren’t given ample screen time.

The Younger Generation Doesn’t Have A Connection To Snow White

Younger Audiences Aren’t As Familiar With Snow White’s Character

Although Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Disney’s first motion picture back in 1937, the movie has remained popular over the last century. That being said, today’s younger audiences are growing up with live-action remakes and adaptations, giving them a wealth of new stories to enjoy. Because newer Disney princesses like Moana and Raya have become more prominent, Snow White’s significance has been somewhat overshadowed in recent decades. The fact that younger audiences don’t share as strong of a connection to Snow White as older audiences indicates people weren’t as eager for a live-action remake as they are for other properties.

This isn’t to say that the story of Snow White has been entirely forgotten, because Disney’s original is easily one of the most iconic properties in their collection, but there have already been a number of Snow White adaptations over recent years. The modern retellings, such as Snow White and the Huntsman, and its sequel, offered a more up-to-date version of the Disney princess which successfully subverted traditional fairy tale tropes. Therefore, these variations may be more appealing to younger audiences who are familiar with the contemporary take.

Disney Struggled With Marketing Snow White To The Older Generations

The Marketing For Disney’s Snow White Was Targeted At Children

Perhaps the biggest hindrance to Rachel Zegler’s misfire was an unevenly distributed marketing strategy. Despite catering to an older generation, Disney’s Snow White was promoted to far younger audiences throughout the lead-up to its premiere. The marketing campaign focused heavily on the differences between the live-action movie and the animated classic, rather than celebrating what remained. Actors on the press tour continued to dismiss the original movie, too, which ultimately resulted in Disney neglecting a huge proportion of its target audience who had an emotional connection to the original movie.

Beyond this, Zegler’s remarks sparked controversy, with some interpreting them as labeling fans of the original as “creepy” and “weird” (via X.) In connection with this, nostalgia is a powerful tool in the film industry that often acts in accordance with box office performance. Considering Snow White‘s marketing emphasized the multiple changes to the narrative, it resulted in a major disconnect between the marketing strategy and the nostalgia that older audiences held for the classic story. This was likely to alienate some viewers regardless, meaning they were less likely to watch the movie once it was released in theaters.

Various Controversies Hurt Snow White’s Potential

The Snow White Adaptation Was At Risk Before It Released

Unfortunately, the backlash surrounding Disney’s Snow White damaged the film’s reputation even before it was released in theaters. Casting Rachel Zegler in the new Snow White incited public debate about the representation and diversity in Hollywood, and while her response on social media was encouraging, Zegler’s later diminishing comments about the original movie only resulted in heightened friction. This, along with the CGI dwarfs, created an abundance of controversy about the live-action remake during the press tour, well ahead of the film’s release.

To put it simply, it’s not just the controversies themselves, but the fact that after so long, many people just became disinterested because of all the drama surrounding the project. There was such a prolonged exposure to the backlash towards Snow White that it eventually led to fatigue, and caused people to disengage from the movie entirely. This is reflected in the live-action box office numbers, as Disney’s Snow White brought in a disappointing $169 million.

Source: X