Disney’s upcoming remake of the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has made headlines after the movie’s trailer received just over 84,000 ‘likes’ – but was ‘disliked’ by over a million users.
Critics say the negative response is a result of what they see as Disney’s excessive focus on political correctness and a ‘woke’ agenda.
The first trailer for Snow White has quickly amassed over one million (estimated) dislikes on YouTube With over 8.4 million views and (also estimated) only 84,000 likes, it is clear that many people are critical of the new film, which is scheduled to premiere in March 2025.
Criticism of the film has been multifaceted, but much of it has focused on what is perceived as Disney’s revisionism and attempts to reshape classic stories to fit a modern, politically correct agenda.
The ‘SNOW WHITE’ live-action trailer surpassed 1 Million dislikes. pic.twitter.com/Xr4nnjI5Dm
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) August 29, 2024
Recast characters and CGI
A central theme of criticism is the casting of Rachel Zegler as Snow White, which some see as a clear example of Disney’s politically correct tendencies.
This recasting of a beloved character has led many, especially on social media (in addition to more rational criticism and general dissatisfaction), to spread loose and sometimes outright false stories about the actress.
Critics have also noted that the film’s dwarf characters, which were part of the magical elements of the story in the 1937 original, have now been given CGI-based equivalents, which some believe has deprived actors with dwarfism of important roles in Hollywood – roles that are already in short supply.
Despite Disney’s attempts to avoid controversy by reinterpreting some of the characters as other types of magical creatures, the company has been heavily criticized for using computer-animated dwarves anyway.
The visual representation of these characters has not gone down well either, with detractors describing them as ‘creepy‘ and ‘emotionally numb‘.
Criticism not unique
However, the controversy surrounding Snow White is not unique. In the past, Disney has faced similar opposition with other remakes, such as 2023’s The Little Mermaid, where the trailer was also met with a storm of negative comments and over a million dislikes.
The criticism of Snow White can be interpreted as part of a larger debate about Hollywood’s recurring pattern of remaking classic works.
Many film lovers feel that these reimaginings often lose the charm and cultural heritage of the originals while being perceived as cynical attempts to capitalize on past successes, and the negative response to Snow White may indicate that audiences have had enough of this trend.
