Snow White (2025 Film)
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''Disney's Snow White'', or simply ''Snow White'', is a 2025 American
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually Magic (paranormal), magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The Film genre, genre is considered a form of speculative fic ...
. It is a live-action
reimagining A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
of
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
's 1937 animated film ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
'', itself based on the 1812 fairy tale "
Snow White "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
" by the
Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...
. Produced by
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
and Marc Platt Productions, the film was directed by
Marc Webb Marc Preston Webb (born August 31, 1974) is an American filmmaker and music video director. He made his feature film directorial debut in 2009 with the romantic comedy '' (500) Days of Summer.'' He then directed ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (2012 ...
and written by
Erin Cressida Wilson Erin Cressida Wilson (born February 12, 1964) is an American playwright, screenwriter, professor, and author. Wilson is known for the 2002 film ''Secretary'', which she adapted from a Mary Gaitskill short story. It won her the Independent Spirit ...
. It stars
Rachel Zegler Rachel Anne Zegler ( ; born May 3, 2001) is an American actress and singer. She gained wide recognition for playing María in Steven Spielberg's musical adaptation ''West Side Story (2021 film), West Side Story'' (2021), winning the Golden Glo ...
as the
title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
, a princess who escapes assassination by her stepmother, the
Evil Queen The Evil Queen (), also called the Wicked Queen or simply the Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. In the Grimm's story, the Queen is Snow White's stepmother o ...
(
Gal Gadot Gal Gadot (; born 30 April 1985) is an Israeli actress. She gained recognition for portraying Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe films (2016–2023). In 2018, Gadot was named one of ''Time''s 100 most influential people and ranked by ''F ...
), and joins with
Seven Dwarfs The Seven Dwarfs are fictional dwarfs in the 1812 fairy tale '' Snow White'' by the Brothers Grimm and other renditions and adaptations. History The Seven Dwarfs live in a tiny cottage and work in the nearby mines. Snow White stumbles upon thei ...
and a rogue bandit named Jonathan (
Andrew Burnap Andrew Burnap (born March 5, 1991) is an American actor. Known for his performances on stage, he began his professional stage career in the Public Theatre's revivals of ''King Lear'' in 2014 and ''Troilus and Cressida'' in 2016. He gained promine ...
) to reclaim her kingdom. Plans for a ''Snow White'' remake were confirmed in October 2016, with Wilson attached as a screenwriter. Webb entered talks to direct in May 2019 and was announced as director in September.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
took place in the United Kingdom from March to July 2022, with additional reshoots taking place in June 2024. The film was initially set to be released in March 2024 but faced delays due to the
SAG-AFTRA strike The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
. Prior to its release, the film generated significant controversy regarding its
color-blind casting Color-blind casting is the practice of casting roles without regard to the actor's ethnicity or race. Alternative terms and similar practices include non-traditional casting, integrated casting, or blind casting, which can involve casting witho ...
, changes to the story, and the reimagining of the
Seven Dwarfs The Seven Dwarfs are fictional dwarfs in the 1812 fairy tale '' Snow White'' by the Brothers Grimm and other renditions and adaptations. History The Seven Dwarfs live in a tiny cottage and work in the nearby mines. Snow White stumbles upon thei ...
. Additional controversy stemmed from lead actress Zegler's public critiques of the original film and
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, as well as her and Gadot's opposing views on the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...
, leading to calls for
boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...
s on both political sides. ''Snow White'' premiered at the
Alcázar of Segovia The Alcázar of Segovia is a medieval castle located in the city of Segovia, in Castile and León, Spain. It has existed since at least the 12th century, and is one of the most renowned medieval castles globally and one of the most visited land ...
in
Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...
, Spain, on March 12, 2025, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 21. It received mixed reviews; critics praised Zegler's performance but took issue with some of the film's stylistic choices. With a production budget of $240–270 million, it is one of Disney's most expensive films. It has grossed $205 million worldwide and is considered by analysts to be a
box-office bomb A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...
.


Plot

A benevolent queen gives birth during a snowstorm. To honor the day, she and her husband name their daughter Snow White. Years later, after the queen dies of a sudden illness, the king hastily remarries before embarking on a military campaign. When he disappears, the new queen usurps the throne, revealing herself as an enchantress whose vanity surpasses her beauty. Under the
Evil Queen The Evil Queen (), also called the Wicked Queen or simply the Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. In the Grimm's story, the Queen is Snow White's stepmother o ...
's rule, subjects are either left
destitute Extreme poverty is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, ...
or conscripted into the royal guard. Fearing that Snow White's beauty will outshine her own, the Queen confines Snow White to the palace, forces her to work as a
scullery maid In great houses, scullery maids were the lowest-ranked and often the youngest of the female domestic servants and acted as assistants to a kitchen maid. Description The scullery maid reported (through the kitchen maid) to the cook or chef. Alo ...
and asks a
Magic Mirror Magic mirror or The Magic Mirror may refer to: Art * ''Magic Mirror'' (M. C. Escher), a 1946 lithograph by M. C. Escher Escher * '' In the Magic Mirror'', a 1934 painting by Paul Klee Literature * ''Magic Mirror'' (book), a 1999 book by Orson Sc ...
daily who is "the fairest one of all". The Mirror always responds in her favor. One day, Snow White sees Jonathan, the leader of a band of bandits, raiding the pantry. When he is sentenced to be tied to the gates, she frees him. That same day, the Magic Mirror deems Snow White as the fairest. The Queen orders the Royal Huntsman to take Snow White into the forest, kill her, and bring her heart back in a jeweled box. The Huntsman instead warns Snow White of the Queen's intentions. At his urging, Snow White flees deep into the forest. Woodland animals lead Snow White to a secluded cottage, where she falls asleep. She awakens later that night to find herself confronted by the owners, the
Seven Dwarfs The Seven Dwarfs are fictional dwarfs in the 1812 fairy tale '' Snow White'' by the Brothers Grimm and other renditions and adaptations. History The Seven Dwarfs live in a tiny cottage and work in the nearby mines. Snow White stumbles upon thei ...
who work in a
diamond mine There are a limited number of commercially available diamond mines currently operating in the world, with the 50 largest mines accounting for approximately 90% of global supply. Diamonds are also mined alluvially over disperse areas, where dia ...
. They sympathize with her and agree to let her stay. Meanwhile, the Queen, having learned from the Magic Mirror that Snow White is still alive, imprisons the Huntsman before ordering a search. Snow White and Jonathan meet again in the forest and fend off the guards alongside the bandits. The two realize their feelings for each other before Jonathan departs to find the king, whom Snow White believes may still be alive. Jonathan is captured by the guards and imprisoned by the Queen, who deduces Snow White's whereabouts. Retreating to her secret chambers, she creates a magic poisoned apple that will put whoever eats it into a death-like sleep. Transforming into a peddler woman, the Queen goes to the cottage after the miners leave for work. Claiming to be an ally of Jonathan's, the Queen tricks Snow White into eating the apple; she then reveals to her stepdaughter that she killed her father. Snow White falls into a death-like sleep, and the Queen retreats to her castle. The miners find her sleeping body upon returning. Having escaped, Jonathan arrives to discover her dead and mournfully
kisses A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, Passion (emotion), passion ...
her. Snow White awakens and rallies the miners and Jonathan's bandits to overthrow the Evil Queen. Snow White confronts her stepmother, who forcefully goads her to take the throne, placing a diamond dagger into her hand. Snow White refuses to hurt her, reminding the people what the kingdom used to be like under her parents' rule. Moved, the guards turn on the Queen and join the miners, the bandits, the Huntsman, and the civilians. The Queen tries to attack Snow White, but the miners and bandits defend her. The Magic Mirror tells the Queen that Snow White will always be fairer than her due to her kindness and justness. Snow White arrives to see the Queen angrily destroying the Mirror, the source of her powers. As a result, she turns into glass herself and disappears into a vortex while the Magic Mirror repairs itself. With Snow White named the new queen at a grand party, everyone in the kingdom arrives to celebrate.


Cast

*
Rachel Zegler Rachel Anne Zegler ( ; born May 3, 2001) is an American actress and singer. She gained wide recognition for playing María in Steven Spielberg's musical adaptation ''West Side Story (2021 film), West Side Story'' (2021), winning the Golden Glo ...
as
Snow White "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
, a fearless and pure-hearted princess who is determined to free her kingdom from her stepmother's tyranny. ** Emilia Faucher as young Snow White ** Olivia Verrall as baby Snow White *
Gal Gadot Gal Gadot (; born 30 April 1985) is an Israeli actress. She gained recognition for portraying Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe films (2016–2023). In 2018, Gadot was named one of ''Time''s 100 most influential people and ranked by ''F ...
as the
Evil Queen The Evil Queen (), also called the Wicked Queen or simply the Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. In the Grimm's story, the Queen is Snow White's stepmother o ...
, Snow White's vain, jealous, and
tyrannical A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to r ...
stepmother who is obsessed with being the fairest one of all. *
Andrew Burnap Andrew Burnap (born March 5, 1991) is an American actor. Known for his performances on stage, he began his professional stage career in the Public Theatre's revivals of ''King Lear'' in 2014 and ''Troilus and Cressida'' in 2016. He gained promine ...
as Jonathan, a new character created as Snow White's love interest (partially based on the
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
from the original film) and a rebel who wants to defy the Evil Queen's monarchy. *
Jeremy Swift Jeremy Paul Swift (born 27 June 1960) is an English actor. He studied drama at Guildford School of Acting from 1978 to 1981 and worked almost exclusively in theatre throughout the 1980s, working with companies such as Deborah Warner's Kick Thea ...
as the voice/facial motion-capture of
Doc DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: People and characters * Doc, an abbreviation of doctor * Doc (nickname) * Doc (mascot), the Towson University mascot Persons * The D.O.C., American rapper (born 1968) * Doc Gallows (born 1983), ring nam ...
, the intelligent leader of the
Seven Dwarfs The Seven Dwarfs are fictional dwarfs in the 1812 fairy tale '' Snow White'' by the Brothers Grimm and other renditions and adaptations. History The Seven Dwarfs live in a tiny cottage and work in the nearby mines. Snow White stumbles upon thei ...
. ** Jonathan Bourne as the motion capture/puppeteer of Doc *
Martin Klebba Martin Klebba (born June 23, 1969) is an American actor and stunt performer. He has a form of dwarfism called acromicric dysplasia; he is . Klebba is best known for his role as Marty in the '' Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise. He made his fi ...
as the voice/facial motion-capture of Grumpy, a grouchy member of the Seven Dwarfs. ** Omari Bernard as motion capture/puppeteer of Grumpy *
George Salazar George Ernest Salazar (born March 7, 1986) is an American actor and singer. He is known for his work on and off-Broadway theatre, Broadway. He made his Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of Stephen Schwartz (composer), Stephen Schwartz's ''Godsp ...
as the voice/facial motion-capture of
Happy Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...
, a cheerful member of the Seven Dwarfs. ** David Birch as the motion capture/puppeteer of Happy *
Tituss Burgess Tituss Burgess (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in several Broadway musicals and is known for his high tenor voice. He is best known for starring as Titus Andromedon on the Netflix comedy series '' Unbre ...
as the voice/facial motion-capture of Bashful, a shy member of the Seven Dwarfs. ** Leah Haile as the motion capture/puppeteer of Bashful * Andrew Grotelueschen as the voice/facial motion-capture of Sleepy, a tired member of the Seven Dwarfs. ** Sandy Foster as the motion capture/puppeteer of Sleepy *
Jason Kravits Jason Kravits (born May 28, 1967) is an American character actor. He is best known for portraying A.D.A. Richard Bay on ABC's ''The Practice.'' Early life and education Kravits was born on May 28, 1967, in Passaic, New Jersey. In 1975, his fami ...
as the voice/facial motion-capture of Sneezy, a member of the Seven Dwarfs who sneezes frequently. ** Dominic Owen as the motion capture/puppeteer of Sneezy *
Andrew Barth Feldman Andrew Barth Feldman (born May 7, 2002) is an American actor and singer. He began his acting career in musical theater by participating in local productions as a child. Feldman won a Jimmy Award for his high school's production of the musical ''C ...
as the voice/facial motion-capture of Dopey, a member of the Seven Dwarfs who does not speak and makes other sounds until after Jonathan wakes Snow White from her Sleeping Death. He is ultimately revealed as the narrator. ** Jaih Betote as the motion-capture/puppeteer of Dopey *
Patrick Page John Patrick Page (born April 27, 1962) is an American actor, low bass singer, and playwright. Beginning his career in classical theatre and the works of Shakespeare, he originated the Broadway roles of the Grinch in '' Dr. Seuss' How the Grin ...
as the voice/facial motion-capture of the
Magic Mirror Magic mirror or The Magic Mirror may refer to: Art * ''Magic Mirror'' (M. C. Escher), a 1946 lithograph by M. C. Escher Escher * '' In the Magic Mirror'', a 1934 painting by Paul Klee Literature * ''Magic Mirror'' (book), a 1999 book by Orson Sc ...
, a mirror containing a being that truthfully answers the Evil Queen's question of who is the fairest one of all. * Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman, an unnamed hunter and the Evil Queen's servant whom she orders to kill Snow White and bring back her heart. Additionally,
Hadley Fraser Hadley Fraser (born Robert Hugh Fraser, April 21, 1980) is an English actor and singer. He made his West End debut as Marius Pontmercy in ''Les Misérables''. He also originated the role of Tiernan for his Broadway debut in '' The Pirate Qu ...
and
Lorena Andrea Lorena Andrea Mateo (born April 12, 1994) is a British actress. She is known for her role as Sister Lilith in the Netflix fantasy series ''Warrior Nun (TV series), Warrior Nun'' (2020–2022). Early life Andrea was born in North London Borough of ...
appear as the Good King and the Good Queen, Snow White's parents. Appearing as Jonathan's team of seven
bandits Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and murder, e ...
are George Appleby as Quigg who is a "master of the crossbow", Colin Michael Carmichael as Farno, Samuel Baxter as Scythe, Jimmy Johnston as Finch,
Dujonna Gift Dujonna Gift (born 16 July 1997) is a British actress, singer and photographer. She has worked in theatre and film. She appears as Maple in Disney's live-action adaptation of ''Snow White'' (2025). Early life and education Gift was born to ...
as Maple who is Quigg's love interest, Idriss Kargbo as Bingley, and Jaih Betote as Norwich. The royal guards consist of Adrian Bower as the
captain of the guard The Captain of the Guard is a position for a military force. It is also a position within jail and prison staffing. Uses Military use A Captain of the Guard is the commanding position of a military security force. The position of Captain of the ...
s, Felipe Bejarano as Guard Paul who used to work as a farmer that also grew cherry trees, Simeon Oakes as Guard Matthew who used to work as a baker, Joshmaine Joseph as Guard William, and Chike Chan as Guard Arthur.


Production


Development

On October 31, 2016, ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' reported that
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
was developing a live-action remake of ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
'', with Marc Platt, an avid fan of the original film, signed on as lead producer and
Erin Cressida Wilson Erin Cressida Wilson (born February 12, 1964) is an American playwright, screenwriter, professor, and author. Wilson is known for the 2002 film ''Secretary'', which she adapted from a Mary Gaitskill short story. It won her the Independent Spirit ...
being in talks to write the screenplay. Callum McDougall, in his third producing collaboration with Disney and Platt, serves as an executive producer. Disney had been considering a live-action ''Snow White'' film since the early 2000s and at one point planned on adapting the story as a
martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expression a ...
set in China. On May 30, 2019, it was reported that
Marc Webb Marc Preston Webb (born August 31, 1974) is an American filmmaker and music video director. He made his feature film directorial debut in 2009 with the romantic comedy '' (500) Days of Summer.'' He then directed ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (2012 ...
was in talks to direct. In November 2021,
Greta Gerwig Greta Celeste Gerwig ( ; born August 4, 1983) is an American actress, screenwriter, and film director. Initially known for working on various mumblecore films, she has since expanded from acting in and co-writing independent films to directing ...
was reported to be co-writing the screenplay.
Gurinder Chadha Gurinder Kaur Chadha, (born 10 January 1960) is a Kenyan-born British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in England. The common theme in her work showcases the trials of Indian women residing ...
was also strongly considered for the directing job. Wilson ultimately received sole credit for the screenplay; Gerwig,
Jez Butterworth Jeremy Butterworth (born March 4, 1969) is a British playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has gained recognition for his unique voice in contemporary theater, often blending themes of myth, folklore, and realism. He has received a T ...
,
Steven Levenson Steven Levenson (born May 1984) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for ''Dear Evan Hansen''. Early life Levenson was raised in Bethesda, Maryland. He was raised in a Reform Jewish f ...
,
Jeff Nathanson Jeffrey D. Nathanson (born October 12, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for writing two films of the '' Rush Hour'' series, as well as the Steven Spielberg films ''Catch Me If You Can'', ''The Terminal'', and '' Indiana Jones and t ...
, Victoria Strouse and
Chris Weitz Christopher John Weitz (; born November 30, 1969) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He is best known for his work with his brother Paul on the comedy films '' American Pie'' and '' About a Boy''; the latter earned ...
each received an "additional literary material" credit from the
Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the name of two American labor unions representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is headquartered in New York City and is affiliated wit ...
, although they are not credited in the film itself.


Casting

In June 2021,
Rachel Zegler Rachel Anne Zegler ( ; born May 3, 2001) is an American actress and singer. She gained wide recognition for playing María in Steven Spielberg's musical adaptation ''West Side Story (2021 film), West Side Story'' (2021), winning the Golden Glo ...
was cast in the title role. The casting of an actress of
Latina Latina or Latinas most often refers to: * Latinas, a demographic group in the United States * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America. *Latin Americans Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
descent as
Snow White "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
, who is described in the original
Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...
fairy tale as having skin "as white as snow", was met with criticism from some quarters. Zegler responded to the criticism in January 2022, stating that Snow White is popular in
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
-speaking countries and that casting a Latina actress in the role was significant due to its rarity. In August 2023, it was reported that Mexican actress
Renata Vaca Renata Ibinarriaga Vaca (born March 26, 1999) is a Mexican and Nicaraguan actress and singer. She is known for her work in films such as ''Game of Heroes'' (2016), ''The Comedian'' (2021), ''Saw X'' (2023) and '' City of Dreams'' (2024), televi ...
had been one of two finalists for the role. Vaca revealed that the casting call was "open to all
ethnic groups An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, rel ...
" and that initial auditions required performing a song from a
Disney Princess ''Disney Princess'', also called the ''Princess Line'', is a media franchise and toy line owned by the Walt Disney Company. Created by Disney Consumer Products chairman Andy Mooney, the franchise features a lineup of female protagonists who hav ...
film. Zegler's casting was solidified through a "glowing recommendation" to Webb from
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
, who directed Zegler as María in his 2021 film adaptation of ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...
''. In November 2021,
Gal Gadot Gal Gadot (; born 30 April 1985) is an Israeli actress. She gained recognition for portraying Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe films (2016–2023). In 2018, Gadot was named one of ''Time''s 100 most influential people and ranked by ''F ...
was cast as the
Evil Queen The Evil Queen (), also called the Wicked Queen or simply the Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. In the Grimm's story, the Queen is Snow White's stepmother o ...
. A new casting search for an actress to star as a younger version of Snow White was launched and Emilia Faucher was cast. On January 12, 2022,
Andrew Burnap Andrew Burnap (born March 5, 1991) is an American actor. Known for his performances on stage, he began his professional stage career in the Public Theatre's revivals of ''King Lear'' in 2014 and ''Troilus and Cressida'' in 2016. He gained promine ...
was cast as a new character named Jonathan in the lead male role, replacing the character of
The Prince ''The Prince'' ( ; ) is a 16th-century political treatise written by the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and Political philosophy, political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new Prince#Prince as gener ...
. At the 2022 Denver Fan Expo,
Martin Klebba Martin Klebba (born June 23, 1969) is an American actor and stunt performer. He has a form of dwarfism called acromicric dysplasia; he is . Klebba is best known for his role as Marty in the '' Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise. He made his fi ...
revealed that he would be portraying Grumpy; Klebba previously played similar dwarf roles in prior productions based on the "Snow White" fairy tale: in the 2001 made-for-television film '' Snow White: The Fairest of Them All'' as Friday, and in the 2012 fantasy comedy '' Mirror Mirror'' as Butcher. Colin Michael Carmichael appears. In February 2025,
Andrew Barth Feldman Andrew Barth Feldman (born May 7, 2002) is an American actor and singer. He began his acting career in musical theater by participating in local productions as a child. Feldman won a Jimmy Award for his high school's production of the musical ''C ...
,
Tituss Burgess Tituss Burgess (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in several Broadway musicals and is known for his high tenor voice. He is best known for starring as Titus Andromedon on the Netflix comedy series '' Unbre ...
,
Jason Kravits Jason Kravits (born May 28, 1967) is an American character actor. He is best known for portraying A.D.A. Richard Bay on ABC's ''The Practice.'' Early life and education Kravits was born on May 28, 1967, in Passaic, New Jersey. In 1975, his fami ...
,
George Salazar George Ernest Salazar (born March 7, 1986) is an American actor and singer. He is known for his work on and off-Broadway theatre, Broadway. He made his Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of Stephen Schwartz (composer), Stephen Schwartz's ''Godsp ...
,
Jeremy Swift Jeremy Paul Swift (born 27 June 1960) is an English actor. He studied drama at Guildford School of Acting from 1978 to 1981 and worked almost exclusively in theatre throughout the 1980s, working with companies such as Deborah Warner's Kick Thea ...
, and Andrew Grotelueschen were all cast as the remaining members of the
Seven Dwarfs The Seven Dwarfs are fictional dwarfs in the 1812 fairy tale '' Snow White'' by the Brothers Grimm and other renditions and adaptations. History The Seven Dwarfs live in a tiny cottage and work in the nearby mines. Snow White stumbles upon thei ...
, with Salazar and Grotelueschen both making their film debuts.
David Krumholtz David Krumholtz (born May 15, 1978) is an American actor. Krumholtz is best known for portraying Bernard in ''The Santa Clause'' franchise (1994–present), Michael Eckman in '' 10 Things I Hate About You'' (1999), Goldstein in the '' Harold & K ...
auditioned for Grumpy and Sleepy.


Writing

In October 2024, Zegler explained that the film would feature an altered origin for Snow White's name, with the character being named as an homage to the weather on the night of her birth, after surviving a snowstorm with her parents, a narrative element she stated was inspired by a previous adaptation of the fairy tale. She also faced criticism for comments about modernizing the titular character, particularly regarding the prince's role. At
D23 Expo D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, also known as Disney D23 or simply D23, is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Eve ...
2022, she stated: Some criticized these changes as overly
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
, while others accused Zegler of misrepresenting feminism. David Hand, son of the original film's co-director, called the remake "insulting". The controversy prompted ''
The Daily Wire The Daily Wire is an American conservative media company founded in 2015 by political commentator Ben Shapiro and film director Jeremy Boreing. The company is a major publisher on Facebook, and produces podcasts such as ''The Ben Shapiro S ...
'' to announce a competing adaptation, though production stalled after star Brett Cooper's 2024 departure. Zegler later clarified that the film would still include a love story, expressing sadness that her comments were misunderstood. In January 2022, actor
Peter Dinklage Peter Hayden Dinklage (; born June 11, 1969) is an American actor. Portraying Tyrion Lannister on the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), Dinklage won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama S ...
, who has a form of
dwarfism Dwarfism is a condition of people and animals marked by unusually small size or short stature. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dwarfism is . '' ...
and has played dwarfish characters in his career, criticized the remake as a "backward story". Disney responded that they were "taking a different approach" after consulting with the dwarfism community. This drew mixed reactions from other actors with dwarfism including
Hornswoggle Dylan Mark Postl (born May 29, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is best known under the ring name Hornswoggle. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract and performs on the independent circuit, sometimes under the ...
, who felt Dinklage was costing them roles. Production footage from July 2023 revealed the dwarfs had been reimagined as one actor with dwarfism and six non-dwarf actors of diverse backgrounds. Disney initially denied then confirmed these were production stand-ins (with confirmed dwarf actor
Martin Klebba Martin Klebba (born June 23, 1969) is an American actor and stunt performer. He has a form of dwarfism called acromicric dysplasia; he is . Klebba is best known for his role as Marty in the '' Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise. He made his fi ...
not appearing). The changes were criticized as overly
politically correct "Political correctness" (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. ...
and reducing opportunities for dwarf actors. Jason "Wee Man" Acuña of '' Jackass'' criticized Disney, asking "Why are you hiring 'Snow White and the seven average people'?" Postl defended the original animated portrayals, disagreeing with Dinklage. The final film features CGI versions resembling the 1937 characters, though they are never called "dwarfs" in dialogue or marketing. The film's title was shortened to ''Snow White'' to avoid emphasizing the dwarf characters. It also avoids Snow White being relegated to the dwarfs' maid; upon arriving at the
cottage A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager had to provide ...
, she falls asleep, and the dwarfs agree to let her stay for her safety. During the musical number “
Whistle While You Work "Whistle While You Work" is a song with music written by Frank Churchill and lyrics written by Larry Morey for the 1937 animated Disney film '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It was performed in the film by voice actress Adriana Caselott ...
,” all the characters share in cleaning up the home. In addition, other traditional plot points are also reimagined: the huntsman spares Snow White's life and, instead of placing an animal heart in a box as in the original, uses an apple, eliminating the need for animal death while preserving the deception. The film also reframes Snow White's identity; her destiny is to be a fair and fearless leader, and the classic song "
Someday My Prince Will Come "Someday My Prince Will Come" is a song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated movie ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It was written by Larry Morey (lyrics) & Frank Churchill (music), and performed by Adriana Caselotti (Snow White's voice in the ...
" is replaced with "Waiting On A Wish," a solo about her "hope to become her father's daughter and the kind leader she was raised to be."
Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character archetype who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales ...
is also replaced by Jonathan, a
bandit Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and murder, e ...
leader, whose relationship with Snow White evolves from mutual skepticism to earned respect and love.


Filming

Filming for ''Snow White'' was originally set to begin in March 2020 in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, and
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, but it was delayed to July 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In August 2021, it was announced that filming would take place in the United Kingdom from March to July 2022.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began on March 7, 2022. A fire damaged the production set on March 15 at
Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...
; the stage was under construction when a tree reportedly caught on fire, leading to a huge blaze. A source from Disney confirmed that "no filming was underway". The shooting schedule was also reconfigured for Zegler to travel to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
to present at the
94th Academy Awards The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The awards were scheduled after their usual late February dat ...
ceremony on March 27, in support of her ''West Side Story'' colleagues. While Zegler was attending the ceremony, Gadot began filming her scenes. Unlike in the original, her character sings and dances. On April 22, Gadot confirmed that she had completed filming her scenes, much later adding that she enjoyed playing the role of the first Disney villain and that she was able to make a more dramatic role by changing her voice due to the film being a
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
. On July 13, Zegler revealed that filming had wrapped.
Mandy Moore Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her 1999 debut single "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot ...
, known for her work on ''
La La Land ''La La Land'' is a 2016 American musical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress who meet and fall in love while pursuing ...
'', choreographed the musical sequences. Disney was unsatisfied with the film's original cut and ordered reshoots, which took place in June 2024. The resulting cut of the film replaced some of the originally intended ending with a new scene involving the Evil Queen and the Magic Mirror. The track "Snow White Returns" was also a late addition to the film. Much of the plotline involving the bandits was excised, as was a song titled "Hidden in My Heart", which was described by ''The New York Times'' as a "second-act...tear-jerker sung by one of the dwarfs."
Visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...
for the film were provided by Moving Picture Company,
Framestore Framestore is a British visual effects and computer animation studio based on Chancery Lane in London, England. The company was founded in 1986. Framestore specializes in visual effects for film and prestige TV, advertising, rides, and immers ...
, Day For Nite,
Passion Pictures Passion Pictures is a British film production company established by Andrew Ruhemann in 1987. The company has studios in London, Melbourne, Paris, Toronto, and New York City. Film production The company's core business is in commercial and anima ...
, Vitality Visual Effects, Cheap Shot VFX,
Lola Visual Effects Lola Visual Effects (or simply Lola) is a company that provides computer generated (CG) effects on live action photography for feature films, episodics, and streaming content.  Lola was founded in January 2004 and is owned and operated by t ...
, and Crafty Apes.


Music

Songwriters
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, known together as Pasek and Paul, are an American songwriting duo and composing team for musical theater, films and television. While Pasek usually writes lyrics and Paul usually writes music, they share credit for ...
, who previously wrote the lyrics for two new songs for Disney's 2019 remake of ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'', wrote new songs alongside Jack Feldman as additional lyricist, including a new "I Want" song for Snow White, titled "Waiting on a Wish". They also wrote a new "villain song" for the Evil Queen, titled "All Is Fair", a new love duet for Snow White and Jonathan titled "A Hand Meets a Hand" (written in collaboration with
Lizzy McAlpine Elizabeth Catherine McAlpine (born September 21, 1999) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. In 2020, she released her debut studio album, '' Give Me a Minute'', to critical acclaim. Her second album, ''Five Seconds Flat'' (2022) ...
), and a new opening ensemble number titled "Good Things Grow". The film features four of the eight songs from the original film by
Frank Churchill Frank Edwin Churchill (October 20, 1901 – May 14, 1942) was an American film composer and songwriter. He wrote most of the music for films produced by Walt Disney, such as ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', '' Dumbo'', ''Bambi'', '' The Ad ...
and
Larry Morey Lawrence L. Morey (March 26, 1905 – May 8, 1971) was an American lyricist and screenwriter. He co-wrote some of the most successful songs in Disney films of the 1930s and 1940s, including " Heigh-Ho", " Some Day My Prince Will Come", and " ...
: " Heigh-Ho", "
Whistle While You Work "Whistle While You Work" is a song with music written by Frank Churchill and lyrics written by Larry Morey for the 1937 animated Disney film '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It was performed in the film by voice actress Adriana Caselott ...
", "
The Silly Song "The Silly Song", also known as "The Dwarfs' Yodel Song", is a song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated film ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' sung by Otis Harlan, Billy Gilbert, Pinto Colvig, Roy Atwell, and Scotty Mattraw. This features an inst ...
" and "
Someday My Prince Will Come "Someday My Prince Will Come" is a song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated movie ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It was written by Larry Morey (lyrics) & Frank Churchill (music), and performed by Adriana Caselotti (Snow White's voice in the ...
", the final of which is heard only instrumentally in the underscore due to the plot changes. In January 2025, it was revealed that Jeff Morrow had composed the score. Dave Metzger, a frequent collaborator on the music for films made by
Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...
, served as orchestrator for the songs.
Christophe Beck Jean-Christophe Beck (born in 1968) is a Canadian television and film score composer. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney and its subsidiaries, which include composing the soundtracks of '' The Muppets'' (2011) and '' Muppets Mos ...
, who also worked on several Disney projects (both animated and live-action) and for whom Morrow served as a protégé, served as score consultant. On March 4, 2025, it was announced that the soundtrack album would be released on March 14 by
Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from the Walt Disney Company's Walt Disney Studios (division), motion picture studios, television shows, Disney Experiences, them ...
, with "Waiting on a Wish" released to the public that same day as the lead single. A deluxe edition of the album was released on March 20, 2025, featuring instrumental versions of the songs and Morrow's underscore.


Marketing

On September 9, 2022, during Disney's 2022
D23 Expo D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, also known as Disney D23 or simply D23, is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Eve ...
presentation, a 30-second first-look trailer as well as first-look images were previewed. There were quick flashes of several major settings, including Snow White's cottage in the woods, the intricately designed interior of the Queen's castle, and the moss-covered forest. There were also short glimpses of Gadot as the Evil Queen questioning her magic mirror, Zegler as Snow White, and Snow White's hand falling with the poisoned apple toppling along with her. Gadot said about her role that playing the Evil Queen was "very different than what hehad done before. he isused to playing the other end of where the heart should be", but she found it very "delightful" to "get under her skin". The title logo was also revealed. On October 27, 2023, Disney released the official first image of the film with Zegler as Snow White as well as Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy. Zegler confirmed that there is a lot of CGI, which made her feel "nervous". Footage of Gadot as the Evil Queen was shown at the 2024 CinemaCon. Disney presented new footage and a behind-the-scenes look during the 2024 CineEurope. The 2024 D23 Expo presented a sneak preview with a clip of the musical number "Whistle While You Work" along with the first trailer. The trailer for ''Snow White'' was released on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
in August 2024 and became the most disliked film trailers on the platform, garnering an estimated nearly one million dislikes and over 82,000 likes within three weeks, according to available data from
browser extension A browser extension is a software module for customizing a web browser. Browsers typically allow users to install a variety of extensions, including user interface modifications, cookie management, ad blocking, and the custom scripting and st ...
s that display an approximation of YouTube dislikes. The first full trailer debuted at D23 Brazil in November 2024 and was attached to select theatrical screenings of
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
's ''
Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * ''Wicked'' (Maguire novel), a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', a 1997 novel series collaboration between Australian children's authors Paul Jennings and Morris ...
'' before eventually being released onto
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
on December 3, 2024. Stuart Heritage of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' criticized the visual effects for the animals and dwarves. He said the dwarves "look like someone has snuck into
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
, grabbed the statues from
Snow White's Enchanted Wish Snow White's Enchanted Wish is a dark ride at the Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Park (Paris), Disneyland Paris theme parks, and formerly at the Magic Kingdom. Located in Fantasyland, it is one of the few remaining attractions that ...
and wrapped them in human flesh, as a serial killer would with a gift for their mother" and "like someone has shaved the
Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
from that first ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' trailer that everyone hated." ''Polygon'''s Petrana Radulovic wrote, "The new ''Snow White'' looks like it's putting in more of a plot, likely one where our plucky heroine will stand up to her despotic tyrant of a stepmother in a YA dystopian plotline out of 2014. Maybe it'll work, storywise! Visually, though, everything seems like it's working on the same budget as
ABC Family American cable television, cable and satellite television network Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through four different owners and six different name changes dur ...
's ''
Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...
''." An international trailer featuring Snow White's origins was released on December 19, 2024. A featurette showing a behind-the-scenes look and how it would honor the legacy of the 1937 film was released on February 20, 2025. The press tour began in Tokyo on March 5, 2025, with Zegler joining her Japanese dub counterpart Sakura Kiryu to perform "Waiting on a Wish" live for the first time. On March 10, 2025, the day tickets for the film went on sale, Disney released new posters, a TV spot, and a film clip. Zegler later appeared on the March 17, 2025 episode of ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...
'' to give the first live television performance of "Waiting on a Wish". At least $70 million was spent on marketing, which, combined with the main production budget, gave Disney a total investment of $350 million for the film.


Release


Theatrical

During the 2022 D23 Expo Presentation, it was announced that ''Snow White'' would be released in 2024. On September 15, 2022, the film was announced to have a release date of March 22, 2024. However, in October 2023, it was delayed a year to March 21, 2025, with the
2023 SAG-AFTRA strike From July 14 to November 9, 2023, the American actors' union SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) went on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Pro ...
cited as the rationale for the delay. The theatrical release included engagements in
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
,
Dolby Cinema Dolby Cinema is a type of premium large format movie theater created by Dolby Laboratories that combines Dolby proprietary technologies such as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, as well as other signature entrance and intrinsic design features. Th ...
, 4DX,
ScreenX ScreenX is a panoramic film format which presents films with an expanded, dual-sided, 270-degree screens projected on the walls in a theater. First introduced in 2012, it is created by CJ 4DPLEX, a subsidiary of the CJ CGV group which also creat ...
and
D-BOX D-BOX Technologies Inc. (informally known simply as DBOX) is a publicly traded haptic motion technology company based in Longueuil, Quebec. The company designs and manufactures motion and haptic systems for entertainment, simulation, and training ...
. The European premiere took place on March 12, 2025, at Spain's
Alcázar of Segovia The Alcázar of Segovia is a medieval castle located in the city of Segovia, in Castile and León, Spain. It has existed since at least the 12th century, and is one of the most renowned medieval castles globally and one of the most visited land ...
, which inspired the castle in the original film, to give the film a more elaborate showing at a "fairytale" venue. A
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
premiere without regular red-carpet press took place at the
El Capitan Theatre El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States. The theater and adjacent Hollywood Masonic Temple (now known as the El Capitan Entert ...
on March 15, 2025, due to the controversies surrounding Zegler and Gadot's political views. In Gadot's honor, the film's first premiere in Israel took place on March 19, 2025, at the Planet Cinema in
Rishon LeZion Rishon LeZion ( , "First to Zion") is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Founded in 1882 by Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire who were ...
, with prominent figures from Israel attending. The film was re-released in 1,000 theatres in the United States on May 9, 2025, during the
Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in Mar ...
weekend, making $335,000.


Boycotts

In August 2024, after the trailer for ''Snow White'' premiered,
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a nonviolent Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Its objective is to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's ...
(BDS) and the
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was launched in April 2004 by a group of Palestinian academics and intellectuals in Ramallah, in the West Bank. PACBI is part of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions ...
(PACBI) called for a boycott of the film due to Gadot's past service in the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
(IDF) and pro-Israel stance. ''
The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...
,'' a conservative publication, viewed these calls as
antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
. Boycott calls grew as Gadot and Zegler openly took opposing sides on the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...
, with Gadot supporting Israel and Zegler supporting Palestine. Before the film's release, Gadot received death threats, attributed to her stance, which led Disney to provide additional security for her. Despite their opposing views, Gadot and Zegler had a positive relationship with each other during the film's production. Another call to boycott was made by Republican supporters in November 2024, following the U.S. presidential election, as Zegler posted "Fuck
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
" and attacked those who voted to re-elect him, saying, "May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace." Zegler later issued a public apology, saying she did not intend any harm with her message. In March 2025, several
Arab organizations Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
and individuals opposed to Israeli policies launched a digital campaign against the film, particularly targeting Gadot due to her past military service. Groups from Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Tunisia,
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
, and Egypt, called for a regional boycott, arguing that screening the film supports the
Israeli occupation Israel has occupied the Golan Heights of Syria and the Palestinian territories since the Six-Day War of 1967. It has previously occupied the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and southern Lebanon as well. Prior to 1967, control of the Palestinian terr ...
and the IDF's treatment of
Palestinians Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...
. Later in April, the film was officially banned in Lebanon, and it was pulled from theaters in Kuwait. By April 2025, over 91% of reviews of ''Snow White'' on
IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
were one star, which led to the site flagging the film with a notice of unusual activity due to concerns of
review bomb A review bomb is a malicious Internet phenomenon in which a large number of people or Sock puppet account, a few people with multiple accounts post negative user reviews online in an attempt to harm the sales or popularity of a product, a service, ...
ing.


Home media

''Snow White'' was released for digital download on May 13, 2025, and will be released on
Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray supports 4K UHD (3840 × 2160 pixel resolution) video at frame rates up to 60 progre ...
,
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
, and
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
on June 24. The home media releases include deleted scenes, a gag reel, and featurettes. A special two-movie collection of the film and the animated movie, ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
'', will also be released. ''Snow White'' was released on the streaming service
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
on June 11, 2025. The film debuted at No. 2 on
Fandango at Home Fandango at Home (formerly known as Vudu) is an American digital video store and streaming service owned by Fandango Media, a joint-venture between NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. The company offers transactional video on demand renta ...
's top 10 digital sales and rental chart for the week ending May 18, shortly after its May 13 release for premium digital rental and purchase. It subsequently ranked No. 5 on the same chart for the week ending May 25, and later placed No. 8 for the week ending June 1. ''Snow White'' ranked No. 6 on the U.K. Official Film Chart for the week ending May 28. The film later ranked No. 8 on the U.K. Official Film Chart for the week ending June 4.


Reception


Box office

, ''Snow White'' has grossed $87.2million in the United States and Canada, and $118.4million in other territories for a worldwide total of $205.6million. ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' stated the film may have trouble getting to $300-400million globally per several studio executives. In the United States and Canada, ''Snow White'' was released alongside ''
The Alto Knights ''The Alto Knights'' is a 2025 American biographical crime drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi. The film stars Robert De Niro in a dual role as 1950s mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, with Debra Messin ...
'' and '' Ash'', and was projected to gross $45–55million from 4,200 theaters in its opening weekend. It was initially projected to gross $63–70million, with analysts comparing this projection to the $69.4million opening of ''
Maleficent Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who first appears in Walt Disney Productions' animated film, ''Sleeping Beauty (1959 film), Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). Maleficent is the self-proclaimed "Dark lord, Mistress of All Evil" based on the Wic ...
'' (2014) and believing that the film would overcome its controversies and fare well financially, given there being no strong competition against it on opening weekend, but in late February, projections were lowered. The film made $16million on its first day, including an estimated $3.5million in Thursday previews. It went on to debut to $42.2million, slightly below projections but still managing to top the box office due to little competition; the low opening was attributed by ''The Hollywood Reporter'' to "so-so audience scores and underwhelming reviews". ''
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'' reported that the film's behind-the-scenes controversies likely had little impact on its box-office performance, while ''Deadline'' reported that the film's financial performance could primarily be attributed to its marketing, the source material failing to resonate with younger audiences, and negative buzz surrounding the film's visuals. In its second weekend, the film made $14.3 million (dropping 66%), finishing second behind newcomer ''
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'', and then $6.1 million in its third weekend, falling to fourth. Producer Marc Platt's son Jonah Platt attributed ''Snow White''s underperformance in its opening week partly to Zegler's social media post supporting Palestine. Box-office analysts largely disagreed with the view that the film's underperformance could be attributed to political controversies and instead attributed it to the film's failure to resonate with critics and audiences. Some actors and musicians have defended Zegler's comments.


Critical response

The film received mixed reviews. On the
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
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, 39% of 259 critics' reviews are positive; the consensus reads: "''Snow White'' is hardly a grumpy time at the movies thanks to Rachel Zegler's luminous star turn, but its bashful treatment of the source material along with some dopey stylistic choices won't make everyone happy, either." Rotten Tomatoes also reported that critics thought Zegler was "one huge highlight" of the film, but "Gadot's reception is mixed ..as are the CGI Dwarfs." Audiences polled by
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gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by
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gave it an average rating of three out of five stars, with 43% saying they would definitely recommend it. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' noted that Disney's previous theatrical remakes earned CinemaScores around the "A" range. The
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
reported that British film critics have mostly panned the film, while US critics were more positive. Katcy Stephan of ''
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'' lauded Zegler's performance, praising her as a "shining
supernova A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
" and her character as having "newfound depth through her fervent desire to become the leader her father believed she could be." Siddhant Adlakha of ''
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'' called the film "the best Disney live-action remake in a decade" and said that it "adapts the broad strokes of the original, while fleshing out its themes." Brian Truitt of ''
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'' wrote that it "finds modern relevance amid the old material." Patrick Gomez of ''
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'' described the film saying: "Disney's best live-action remake is the fairest of them all." Nicholas Barber of the BBC wrote, "The story is cluttered, the tone is muddled, and the pacing is off. Again, that doesn't make the film a disaster. In some ways, the identity crisis is what makes it worth seeing." Witney Seibold of ''
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'' wrote, "It's hollow, but unlike some more recent remakes, it seems to have thoughts in its head." David Rooney of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote of the premise, "If that sounds like the standard female-empowerment template that's almost obligatory in contemporary fairy-tale retreads, it more or less is. But the incandescent Zegler sells it with conviction and heart." Daniel Bayer of ''AwardsWatch'' wrote, " arcWebb gets the job done with minimal muss and fuss, and whenever Zegler is onscreen, the film manages to conjure up some of that good old Disney magic." Dan Rubins of ''
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'' called it "a fairly paint-by-numbers exercise in updating a quintessential but unquestionably quaint property for modern consumption." Amy Nicholson of the ''
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'' wrote that the film is "a fascinating case study in today's impossible contradictions—a magic mirror reflecting the tensions of the current times." Nell Minow of ''
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'' gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "Some parts of the film work better than others, but none of it has the sweetness and imagination of the animated feature. This ''Snow White'' is not the fairest of them all. It's just, well, fair."
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of ''
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'' called it "exhaustingly awful", with "tiresome pseudo- progressive additions", and criticized Zegler and Gadot's roles as "the dullest performances of their lives". Johnny Oleksinski of the ''
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'' wrote, "The timeless classic, a groundbreaking achievement for animation, has been turned into another pointless and awkward live-action automaton that vanishes from your mind the second it's over." Tyler Taing of ''DiscussingFilm'' wrote, "Aside from Rachel Zegler's powerhouse performance, there is little else to enjoy from this clumsy, poorly conceived, and cynical live-action Disney remake. Even Gal Gadot's hilariously bad line reads are not worth the trip to the theater." Rodrigo Perez of ''The Playlist'' wrote, "While interjecting its social commentary, ''Snow White'' otherwise tackles much of the same ideas—the notions of true love, the power of friendship, and the triumph of good over evil—but it's all put together in a very familiar and garish package." David Fear of ''
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'' said it "may not be the worst live-action adaptation of an animated touchstone, though it's a strong contender for its blandest."


Accolades


Impact

Due to the box-office underperformance of ''Snow White'', production on Disney's live-action remake of ''
Tangled ''Tangled'' is a 2010 American animated musical film, musical Adventure film, adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale "Rapunzel" in th ...
'' was suspended indefinitely in April 2025.


Notes


References


External links

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