The announcement of Snow White (2025) has provoked a stormy outpour of excitement but also much criticism, anticipation being no less. This is a revamp of the classic animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937. Even though it is a new adaptation of a very old story, the new Snow White film, directed by Marc Webb, and with a screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson, shall be a spectacle, features good acting and will tell an innovative version of the initial tale. The Disney film stars Rachel Zegler performing as Snow White and Gal Gadot in the Evil Queen’s role. The Motion Picture is set for the Cinemas on March 21, 2025.
Unsurprisingly, the reader will pay attention to a few important details from the movie, namely the names of the actors, the name of the country and location where it was filmed, the duration of making the film and some of the common controversies. But, first, let us put the reader in some context with respect to the film more comprehensively.
| Aspect | Details |
| Title | Snow White (2025) |
| Director | Marc Webb |
| Screenwriters | Greta Gerwig, Erin Cressida Wilson |
| Production Companies | Walt Disney Pictures, Marc Platt Productions |
| Lead Cast | Rachel Zegler (Snow White), Gal Gadot (Evil Queen), Andrew Burnap (Jonathan) |
| Filming Locations | London, UK |
| Release Date | March 21, 2025 |
| Budget | Estimated around $200 million |
| Controversies | Casting choices, reimagining of Seven Dwarfs, public comments by Rachel Zegler |
Snow White Cast and Characters
In the year 2025, Rachel Zegler will take on the titular role in the live-action remake Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs after her first performance in West Side Story. There have been praises for and backlash against the casting of Zegler, who has Colombian ancestry, especially as traditionally in the picture world, Snow White is a lady with ‘skin as white as snow’. However, Zegler’s casting is a more relevant and contemporary one that fits into the film production as the fans of the film company Disney International have been advocating for the expansion of diversity.
Gal Gadot, who is best remembered for her role as Wonder Woman, takes on the sinister tone of the Evil Queen. As said by Gadot, portraying a villain is liberating since it allows an actress to use a whole different facet of her acting career. In fact, she has added her own touch to the Evil Queen, and yes, she doesn’t just sit there and look menacing; she too sings and dances, and that actually adds up to more depth than the original Evil Queen’s tale.
A completely new character named Jonathan who seems to be replacing the Prince, is introduced and played by Andrew Burnap. Other major characters include Martin Klebba as Grumpy, Emilia Faucher as a young Snow White, and Dujonna Gift as Maple. The other members of the Seven Dwarfs will be constructed with computer animations, drawing again another wave of controversy.
Snow White Filming Locations and Timeline
The shooting schedule for Snow White transpired between March and July 2022 in London, amongst other places, while additional shooting is expected to be done in 2024. There were various problems in the production phase, the most highlighted being the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and then shifting to the UK under strict measures.
One such episode that the director Marc Webb can relate to was the onset of a fire in Pinewood Studios on set in March 2022. Thankfully, there were no injuries and the shooting continued with few delays. Mar Webb and his team’s adaptation of the fairytale of Snow White would take place in Great Britain with the use of innovative techniques of computer graphics.
Controversies Surrounding the Film
No one can deny that the release of Snow White (2025) came with a lot of hype but that has not been the only product from the film. There have been quite a number of hot potato themes as well one of which is the case of Snow White being played by actress Rachel Zegler.
Some such critics particularly in the western countries have bashed Disney owing to the fact that they cast a Latina to portray a white character who’s described in the original tale as having ‘skin as white as snow’. Zegler has addressed these issues noting that Snow White is not only an Anglo-American character as many assume, she is a woman of note in many nations including those that speak Spanish and therefore she came here to change things.
But the other biggest issue is the depiction of the Seven Dwarf. In the wake of the commentary from actor Peter Dinklage who best known for his role on household fantasy drama ‘Game of thrones’ who has dwarfism, Dinklage took the live-action remake to task claiming it was ‘so dated’ in its portrayal of dwarves, Disney said it would try something different. Instead of hiring little people for the production, it was decided that they would create a dwarf by means of computer graphics. It was met with varied opinions as it was alleged that some actors coming from the dwarfism community were angry at Disney for denying them chances to portray dwarfs.
Moreover, Zegler’s distortion about the 1937 film and the portrayal of Snow White along with the Prince generated fierce debates online. Zegler stated it clearly that the original version was out of place in today’s society as it marginalized women. As she explained, Snow White (2025) is a rather independent heroine who does not wait for a prince to save her which is unlike the original storyline. Whiles some fans applauded the feminist angle, most others were very unhappy since they thought it was too far from the original fairy tale.
What to Expect from the New Live-Action Adaptation
Some aspects of the live-action Snow White will remain in line with the animated classic. For instance, the inclusion of some catchy tunes such as “Whistle While You Work” will not be missed. On the other end, the story and behavior of the characters is different as it aims at changing the image of Snow White into a much less idyllic vision that does not look only for love. Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who were contributors to Aladdin (2019) have also contributed new numbers promising new material that goes brilliantly with old hits.
Fans can also expect The Evil Queen to be much darker and monstrous than what Gal Gadot portrayed. In this variant, the Queen gets a little more complex with Gadot affirming that she took voice lessons to bring a twist to her character. It involves singing and dancing, activities she engagingly said are interesting compared to her action-filled films.
The Future of Disney Live-Action Remakes
The live-action version of Snow White is to be released in March 2025 and so Disney continues its path of remaking animated classics to live action. There are complaints, however, the public is looking forward to this film quite a lot since there is a chance to retell a well-loved story to a modern audience. The intention with casting Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot along with some other changes to the storyline is to give a new perspective on the old fairytale.
Some old-fashioned people may be reluctant to welcome such changes, yet Disney’s Snow White seems to become quite risky and beautiful in terms of visuals with discussions on issues of representation, progressive ideas, and changes of traditional fairy tales.
Last but not least, Snow White (2025) is a rather aimed at younger parts of the audience and controversial retelling of a Disney classic. Featuring big names, inventive images, and modern plots – it will be impossible for old-school fans or new viewers to ignore the film.
