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Disney’s new live-action Snow White movie has faced a rough reception from critics and audiences alike.
Starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White, the film has been heavily criticized for its “woke” approach, particularly for casting Zegler, a Latina actress, as a character traditionally described as having “skin as white as snow,” sparking backlash on social media platforms for deviating from the 1937 classic. In a 2022 interview, Zegler added fuel to the fire by saying her Snow White doesn’t need a male savior, emphasizing a shift from the original’s romantic focus to a narrative about leadership and empowerment. Critics, such as The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw, who called it an “exhaustingly awful reboot,” have slammed the film for its “pseudo-progressive additions,” while social media users on X have echoed this, decrying its departure from the fairy tale’s roots.
This remake fits into a broader trend of modern Disney live-action remakes—like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast—that aim to update classic stories but are increasingly labeled as overly “woke” by fans and reviewers. The push for contemporary sentiments, like reimagining the Seven Dwarfs as CGI “magical creatures” to avoid stereotypes, has left many feeling Disney is sacrificing storytelling for messaging. Reception has been lukewarm at best, with Rotten Tomatoes scoring it at a dismal 47% based on early reviews. Box office figures reflect this discontent, with Snow White opening to just $43 million domestically.
Declining viewership trends for these remakes are evident, as audiences grow weary of what some call “nostalgia-bait” with heavy-handed modern twists. Disney’s attempt to reframe a beloved tale has left it struggling to recapture the magic, facing a cultural backlash that’s hard to ignore.
We want to ask you, the reader: do you watch Disney modern-day movies or TV shows? Answer in our poll below and comment your thoughts on their approach to remakes of classic tales and stories.
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