There haven’t been any new ideas in Hollywood for years. Just about every blockbuster new release is a sequel, or a remake, or the remake of a sequel. The creatives at Disney, for example, have spent many years and millions of dollars turning all their classic cartoons into live-action remakes.
These adaptations are sometimes shot-for-shot copies with live actors which makes their existence questionable.
But what’s even worse than Disney’s revamping of old movies without changing them is the inevitable “modernizing” of classic films. In the live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast” (2017), Belle is presented as an inventor like her father. And in “Aladdin” (2019), Jasmine gets a much bigger backstory and a desire to run the city, not just escape it — plot changes that are an obvious nod to feminist themes.
There are hints that progressive elements will make it into the remake of this 1936 Disney classic.
During an interview with Buzzfeed, actress Rachel Zegler said she’s excited to bring Snow White into the modern era by telling a story that’s “a lot stronger.”
“There’s not much I can say about it besides the fact that Snow White has constantly been criticized — even though she’s the original Disney princess and we love her so much — but criticized for existing solely for a prince, existing solely to be rescued,” the actress explained.
“I think that our director, Marc Webb, and everyone who’s working on this film has really taken her narrative and turned it into something that’s a lot stronger. And I’m very, very excited to be able to bring that to life.”
It’s anyone’s guess how the story will be changed to accommodate woke messaging. But Disney’s “Stories Matter” initiative makes the overarching goals of the company clear. It states that the company will continue reviewing content and adding context disclaimers when necessary as part of an “ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
Plus, changing the storyline wouldn’t be completely different from what screenwriters did with the original story material. The original “Snow White” fairytale included macabre details, like the Evil Queen demanding the huntsman to bring back Snow White’s heart and liver as proof that he killed her. He returned with the organs of a deer instead, and the queen ate them. Disney softened the story for a young audience, as they did with so many other stories.
One Disney employee told The Guardian storyline updates represent the company going along with audience demands. “It’s quite fascinating to see how there’s this whole thing of: ‘They’re bowing to the woke mob,'” they said. “It’s, like: no, they’re doing this because it’s good business to do things that appeal to a larger demographic. They can’t just appeal to the conservative audience, they need to appeal to everyone. Capitalism isn’t on your side here.”
Besides casting Zegler, Disney announced that Gal Gadot will play the Evil Queen. IMDb says that “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” will be released sometime in 2022.