Once upon a time, in the golden age of animation, Walt Disney introduced the world to a princess whose kindness and resilience would set the foundation for generations of fairy-tale heroines. Now, nearly a century after the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Disney is bringing the beloved story back to the big screen in a live-action musical reimagining directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer, The Amazing Spider-Man).
Starring Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Snow White, Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as the Evil Queen, and Andrew Burnap (The Inheritance) as a new type of Disney prince, the cast and crew of Disney’s Snow White clearly seek to honor the original film while evolving the story for modern audiences.
“The original Snow White was a great work of art,” says producer Marc Platt (La La Land, Wicked). “It was the first fully narrative animated film, and its animation was beautiful and groundbreaking. And for audiences in 1937, it immersed them in a world and made them feel that they had been transported, with characters that have become through time beloved; songs that have become beloved and a story that remains a classic.”
Bringing the tale into live action meant finding the right balance between nostalgia and evolution and Webb certainly felt the weight of the movie’s legacy. “It was really important for us to honor the DNA of Snow White,” he explains. “The original Snow White didn’t break the mold… it created the mold. Somehow Walt Disney connects to something inside of us – a kind of childlike wonder and optimism.”
But as with all great fairy tales, stories evolve. “There was also an opportunity to re-tell the mythology to reflect the times that we’re in, and I think all good stories evolve over time,” Webb continues. “They become reflections of the world that we live in and what we want the world to be to a degree.”
Evolving the first Disney princess
At the heart of this retelling is the question: what does it mean for Snow White to be a leader? “Our story is about a young woman who’s learning to be queen, to be a leader,” explains Webb. “And one of the guiding principles for us when developing the script was who is Snow White as a leader? Disney princesses have evolved pretty dramatically in the last century, so we wanted to know what is specific about Snow White. What makes her different?”
For screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson (The Girl on the Train), the challenge was crafting a version of Snow White that felt both timeless and fresh. “I took my cues from the masterpiece that already existed – gently fleshing it out for a more contemporary audience,” she says. “My task was to dive into the character of Snow White and find what second act her story begged for. I massaged the theme of her discovering and trusting her own voice and her own purpose with compassion and strength.”
For Rachel Zegler, who has stepped into the classic role, she was captivated by the film’s vision. “From the word go, it was obvious that Marc wanted to make a Snow White for this generation,” she remembers. “That is what is so poignant in our story, and I think people all over the world will be able to resonate with her.
“Her superpower is her heart. There’s no supernatural power that Snow White possesses beyond her love for humanity, for all living creatures and her fundamental belief that there’s goodness in everything. That’s something I really think the world could use more of.”
A wickedly delightful villain
Opposing Snow White is, of course, the iconic Evil Queen, played by Gal Gadot, who has embraced the role with theatrical relish. “We talked about what motivates her, and who she really is as a person,” Gadot explains. “I loved the fact that this was something completely new for me as an actress, and playing a villain is exciting. It allows you to go to places you can’t when playing a straight character.”
Gadot leans into the Queen’s obsession with power and vanity, making her a real force to be reckoned with. “The Evil Queen is all about power,” Gadot nods. “She wants to be in control, she is the alpha character, she is a narcissist, and she loves being in control and having people worship her.
“One minute, she is delightful and sweet and kind, and the next minute, she is thrashing out and pulling the rug out from underneath you!”
Director Marc Webb knew that casting Gadot was the perfect choice. “The Evil Queen needs to be delicious. She needs to be wicked, and she needs to have fun being mean,” he explains. “And there is a camp element to the character.
“She has to be broad and delight in her villainy, and it has to have an edge; it has to have a danger.”
A new hero and a band of mischief-makers
In a fresh addition to the tale, Andrew Burnap plays Jonathan, a roguish leader of bandits who becomes entangled in Snow White’s journey. “Marc was very clear that he wanted Jonathan to be very playful and not someone who lives in a fairy-tale world,” says Burnap. “He is more of a contemporary character and someone who is almost making fun of everyone else in the Kingdom that takes themselves so seriously.”
Unlike the traditional prince, Jonathan’s journey is far from the one-dimensional hero. This prince is all about growth and discovery. “Johnathan is first and foremost a cynic,” Burnap continues. “So, when Snow White comes into his life, he’s shocked by not only her innocence but her naivety about how the world works outside of the palace walls.”
And of course, the beloved seven dwarfs make their return to the movie, voiced by a dynamic cast including Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso) and Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), in a somewhat controversial move to create the characters in CGI.
For producer Jared LeBoff, the pressure of mounting a live-action Snow White was quite substantial. “It is a huge weight of responsibility,” he says, “but also a huge privilege and a true honour to be trusted with this sort of legacy. When you drive onto the Disney Studios lot, you look up and see Doc, Dopey, and Grumpy literally holding up the building.”
That legacy is also resonated by Zeglar, along with a responsibility to the new young generation of audiences. “Having a female character at the forefront of your story whose entire purpose is to be fearless, fair, brave, and true is unlike anything that I’ve ever seen before,” she says.
“I am very excited for the next generation of moviegoers to see that.”
Snow White will be released in cinemas on 21 March
