Concerns regarding Disney’s live-action Snow White have been high, but there may be no need to worry considering the biggest movie success of 2023. The House of Mouse’s remakes are always at the center of controversy, with long-time fans frequently concerned that these adaptations won’t show the appropriate respect to the original animated versions. This is especially true for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which was Disney’s first full-length animated film, as well as the start of the Disney Princess franchise. Remaking such an iconic project will take careful and respectful hands, and things have so far been looking rough.
In the couple of years, since the live-action Snow White was officially announced, the movie has been at the center of significant controversy. Aside from the obvious debate about whether these old animated classics should be remade to begin with, many have become frustrated with the comments made by Rachel Zegler, who will be playing the titular role in the upcoming film. The actor seemed to have a lot of negative things to say about the original 1937 film, which appears to support the idea that Disney would be throwing out the old for the sake of something shiny and new. However, given Snow White‘s screenwriter, it’s hard to imagine this will be the case.
Barbie’s Greta Gerwig Cowrote The Snow White Remake’s Screenplay
The main fear regarding Snow White is that Disney will demolish the original plot and characters for the sake of creating an overly modern retelling. Zegler’s comments about Snow’s story no longer being about finding true love or that Prince Charming had been a stalker made it seem as if Disney had determined the 1937 film to be problematic. If the message is that it’s bad or shallow for a princess to want a loving husband or to enjoy housekeeping, then it implies there was something wrong with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to begin with, and that’s a frustrating way to approach the new film.
However, considering Barbie director and writer Greta Gerwig co-wrote the screenplay (alongside Erin Cressida Wilson) for the Snow White remake, it’s hard to imagine this will be true. Barbie‘s definitive spot as the top movie of 2023 proves that Gerwig understands how to take a beloved character of people’s childhoods and turn them into a live-action icon while still showing great respect to the source. Barbie’s story was fresh, impactful, and full of feminist concepts while still supporting the idea that being a woman doesn’t mean any one thing. Based on this, we should be able to expect Snow White’s story to do something similar.
Barbie & Other Gerwig Successes Means Snow White Is In Good Hands
Barbie wasn’t Gerwig’s first success in tackling beloved IP. Little Women is another classic story that could have gone horribly wrong, but the writer and director made the story fresh and relatable to modern audiences (especially women) without isolating or belittling those with traditional values. It was evident in the immense care that Gerwig took with the story that she had respect for the tale as well. Like Barbie, she didn’t aim to make fun of anyone or anything. It would make little sense for Gerwig to take such care of these beloved tales and characters only to drag Snow White through the mud. Hopefully, this is a sign that Disney has something magical in store.
