This review was made possible by Popped attending an advanced screening of Snow White.
Just off the cusp of Mufasa: The Lion King‘s release last year, a sequel/prequel to 2019’s The Lion King, Disney is already releasing their next live-action remake. After grossing $713.6 million, Mufasa: The Lion King became the sixth highest-grossing movie of 2024. With Disney making financial success with these live-action remakes, it’s no surprise that Disney has decided to create one for where it all began, Snow White.
Disney’s Snow White is a reimagining of the 1937 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The movie follows Snow White (Rachel Zegler), a princess who is enslaved by the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot), her stepmother and must liberate her kingdom from her cruel rule with the help of seven dwarves she comes across and Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), a rebel who wants to take down the Evil Queen as much as Snow White.
‘Snow White’ And The Internet Trolls
It’s hard to say if something shifted when the pandemic hit. So many things changed, and we’re still recovering from it. But it’s difficult to pinpoint when people on the internet began to spread meaningless hate (if there’s even such a thing as meaningful hate). Rachel Zegler started receiving criticism when she was cast for the colour of her skin and her personal thoughts on the original story and why it needed to change in 2025. There are numerous other reasons why Snow White has become such a “controversial” release, which involve the inclusion of Gal Gadot, CGI dwarves and Rachel upsetting Trump fans.
Once that’s all set-aside, you’re able to look at Snow White from a perspective that’s deemed reasonable. Giving the movie the same chance you’d give any other film. It’s truly tiring that Disney has opted into doing live-action remakes, as they’ll never be able to replicate what an animated film is capable of, but it’s still possible for these remakes to have a sense of identity. There are two ways these live-action remakes go: you either get a lifeless remake such as Pinocchio, which feels like a huge disrespect to its source material and then there’s Beauty and the Beast, which although falls short in some areas, manages to still feel faithful to its source material and retain what makes the source material special. Snow White is surprisingly the latter in this situation.
The Necessary Changes to ‘Snow White’
When a film is being reimagined for a modern audience, there are a few questions that must factor into its existence. The most important question is: will it offer a new perspective while also staying faithful to the original? Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary) pens the screenplay for this film, and it’s amazing what she’s capable of doing while still staying true to the 1937 movie. There’s much more depth that’s provided to the characters of Snow White and the Evil Queen with their relationship feeling more fleshed out and the exploration of Snow White’s life before her mother died.
The greatest changes compared to the original come from the Prince being completely replaced by Andrew Burnap’s new character, Jonathan. There are remnants of the Prince still left in his character but his relationship with Snow White adds a level of realism in this fantastical story which might bother some but overall it helps showcase Snow White as a strong female character compared to the 1937 film where she’s just seen as the damsel in distress.
What is usually frowned upon in Disney live-action remakes is the removal of classic songs and replacing them with soulless originals. Snow White completely subverts expectations by surprising audiences with original songs by Pasek and Paul (who previously did the songs for The Greatest Showman) that feel timeless and, without a doubt, are songs that will become iconic by the end of the year. “Waiting on a Wish,” “Good Things Grow,” and shockingly, “All is Fair” are some favourites when recalling the great music that Snow White has to offer.
The Magical Performances Of ‘Snow White’
Rachel Zegler has shown in West Side Story and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes that she’s at her best when she’s able to portray her soothing singing voice. She’s perfect for the role of Snow White and portrays the innocence and bravery of the character without fail. Rachel Zegler is the Snow White we all needed on our screen and will always be the canon Snow White in our heads. Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen is overall a mixed bad. There are moments in the film where she truly gets to shine, such as her musical performance in “All is Fair” and when she’s disguised as an Old Witch, but during the majority of the film, she feels like a miscast compared to the rest of her castmates. The most baffling decision behind Snow White isn’t Gal Gadot’s casting, but in fact the CGI Dwarves.
There has been a lot of backlash regarding the use of CGI dwarfs, and actors with dwarfism have expressed their upset with being disregarded. Visually, the movie looks beautiful, from its vibrant colours to its grand set and costume designs. The dwarfs, on the other hand, don’t follow in suit and feel like they instead belong in another film and don’t match the aesthetic of Snow White that even the lively animated animals bring to the film. It’s the weirdest decision to not have real actors play these characters and while Dopey (Andrew Barth Feldman), Bashful (Tituss Burgess), Grumpy (Martin Klebba), Sneezy (Jason Kravits), Happy (George Salazar), Doc (Jeremy Swift), and Sleep (Andy Grotelueschen) all have great voice performers and are also beautifully written by Erin Cressida Wilson, especially Dopey, whom Andrew Barth Feldman does a fantastic job of portraying, it’s disappointing to see a community be let down by such a grand opportunity that could’ve paved the way for more jobs.
‘SNOW WHITE’ – FINAL THOUGHTS
Snow White is a magical reimagining of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that reinvents the story for a modern audience, with screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson diving further into the world of Snow White and fleshing out relationships with the titular characters and her supporting cast. Rachel Zegler delivers a performance that shines like the stars, with Gal Gadot supporting in a role that can be considered just serviceable. The characters all have depth added to them with relationships that feel relatable and compelling, original songs written by Pasek and Paul who create some of the best original music heard in the last 10 years from a Disney movie. Snow White is easily one of the best Disney live-action remakes, and if they keep this up, we’re in for a rollercoaster of a ride this year with Lilo & Stitch later down the line.
Snow White releases in theatres on March 21. Check out the trailer below:
