Summary
- Disney’s upcoming Snow White film has faced numerous controversies.
- David Hand’s son criticizes the film for straying too far from the original story, questioning the changes made.
- Hand’s wife Sarah also criticized Rachel Zegler.
Disney’s new Snow White movie has attracted a lot of controversy over the years and the Mouse House is seemingly just trying to release the film and move on. Alas, the son of a Disney animator who worked on the 1937 classic has expressed his disappointment with the project for reportedly changing the original’s story.
Disney‘s live-action remake of Snow White has raised eyebrows for everything from casting Rachel Zegler, a Latina actress, in the titular role to the reimagining of the seven dwarfs to avoid reinforcing stereotypes. There also are the political leanings of the two leads—Zegler and Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen—in terms of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Zegler has publicly shown her support for Palestine. Meanwhile, Gadot, who has publicly embraced her Israeli identity and completed her mandatory two-year service to the Israel Defense Forces, supports her home country. Due to Gadot and Zegler’s opposing stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rumors flew about on-set discord. However, David Hale Hand, the son of Disney animator David Hand, was more concerned about how the upcoming film will alter the original’s story.
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In an interview with Page Six, the 93-year-old Hand, said he had no plans to watch the Snow White movie as he is upset with apparent changes made to the film. His dad served as the supervising director for Bambi and the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. “The original was the way it should be. From what I’ve read, [the new film] bears no reflection to the original story,” Hand said. “It’s so far off base that it’s ridiculous.” Even though he hasn’t seen the film, he added that the supposed changes made to it are enough to make his father and Walt Disney “roll in their graves.”
He added:
They’ve taken it and moved into the politics of what is woke … They’re taking a beautiful and beautifully drawn story and destroying what was ‘Snow White.’ Why can’t they just leave it alone instead of coming up with a different story — make it a totally different character?
Hand’s wife, Sara Hand, shared the same sentiment. According to her, her late father-in-law was very proud of his work, and with Disney presumedly changing the classic’s story, he would probably question what they had done. She also criticized Zegler, who previously announced that she would never sing Snow White’s song “Some Day My Prince Will Come” in the live-action version. “Snow White is a lovely young woman who has love for her prince and her seven dwarves,” Sarah said.
Although Snow White has continuously made headlines, much of the coverage has been of a somewhat negative bent. First, the casting proved controversial with some fans. Second, Zegler has questioned the original version, calling the storyline “extremely outdated.” She also likened the prince to a “stalker” and stated that the 1937 original was “weird.” Throw in the political headaches Disney definitely wants no part of, and you have a recipe for PR disaster. Will Disney recoup their extensive budget on Snow White? It’s hard telling, but it’s not looking great.
Snow White hits theaters on March 21, 2025.
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Source: Page Six