WATCH: Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot Discuss the Legacy of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ In New Featurette
Disney’s long-awaited Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs live-action remake will finally hit theaters on March 21.
Starring Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and Andrew Burnap, Snow White will be a modern retelling of the classic Disney animated film.
“In the heart of a dark forest, the lovely young princess Snow White seeks sanctuary in a quaint cottage belonging to seven dwarfs, escaping the wrath of her envious stepmother, the wicked Queen,” the film’s synopsis reads.
Photo: Disney
“Consumed by vanity, the Queen, desperate to maintain her title as ‘fairest in the land,’ becomes increasingly threatened by Snow White’s unparalleled beauty, driving her to extreme measures to eliminate her stepdaughter.”
The Film’s Stars Discuss the Original Animated Film in New Featurette
Ahead of the live-action remake, Disney has released a new featurette featuring director Marc Webb and stars Rachel Zegler (Snow White) and Gal Gadot (Evil Queen) discussing the impact of the original animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Photo: Disney
“The original Snow White, it didn’t break the mold, it created the mold,” Mark Webb explains at the beginning of the featurette.
“Somehow, Walt Disney connects to something inside of us. A kind of childlike wonder and optimism.”
According to Zegler, the team behind Snow White continuously drew inspiration from the animated classic.
“There is so much from this animated movie that we have taken from and used in our own.”
Photo: Disney
For Gadot, there was magic in being able to step into such an iconic role.
“The first day I was shooting, I was a little nervous. Because I’m doing something that is so iconic,” Gadot revealed. “All of the sudden, I’m the Evil Queen? And I get to say that?”
A Change of Tone
The new featurette is especially notable as Disney has continued to lean into the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs legacy as the release of Snow White nears. Initially, the studio emphasized that they were “reimagining the dwarfs to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original film.”
Photo: Disney
Likewise, both Zegler and Gadot have found themselves in hot water with fans for disparaging comments they made about the original animated Snow White.
“The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so,” Zegler told Extra in 2023. “There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. So we didn’t do that this time.”
As the release of Snow White draws near, it seems that both Disney and the film’s stars have gotten over their reservations about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and are leaning into it.
Photo: Disney
The hope is likely that fans of the 1937 film and the franchise as a whole will turn out to theaters.
If you haven’t seen the featurette, check it out now!
Snow White will hit theaters on March 21.
