The new live action version of Snow White came out on March 21, 2025 following many other live action remakes of classics. This particular movie is the cause of much controversy on the internet because of the changes of the storyline and the chosen actors.
The story line follows Snow White whose name originates from her birth in a carriage when it was snowy and white. While in the classic, Snow White was given her name because her mother wanted a daughter with “skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony,” which is definitely not an appropriate sentence to say now, especially the last part. This new story is about her saving her kingdom from the evil queen, who took control and treated civilians unfairly.
The Snow White character completely changes from a damsel in distress to a proactive heroine striving to become a good ruler for her people in this new movie. She is much more independent and the love-story part of it was downplayed a lot in the remake as she focuses more on her own journey. Her dream isn’t to find true love anymore, but to succeed in helping people. This movie introduces more feminist themes and moves away from the “rescued princess” genre. Along with “the magical creatures” AKA the dwarves and a bandit named Jonathan, Snow White seeks to reclaim her kingdom from the cruel queen and reclaim what she lost after her father died.
The change in the dwarves caused a lot of backlash as well. The original 1937 version of Snow White included 7 different dwarves with distinct and unique personalities while the live action shows a diverse group of people that are not at all dwarves. Many fans expected CGI or different alternatives, just scratching the whole idea of the 7 dwarves takes away a magical factor from the original film.
Rachel Zegler, the actress for Snow White, has gotten a lot of hate. Fans are saying she doesnt fit the role of Snow White. That she’s too “loud” or “too dark” to play Snow White, even though the whole concept of the movie has changed, many fans still don’t understand why she’s actually very fit to play this role. Rachel Zegler has amazing experience performing and singing, especially in a bold way. The remake literally turns Snow White into an independent woman that needs to save her kingdom, not a girl that got cast out and is dreaming to find her true love. The script matches her, and she’s best fit for this new version of Snow White.
The new live action is definitely interesting and a nice movie to watch with family. It’s obviously not the nostalgic 1937 version, it’s a lot more modern and shows a lot more inclusivity. Many fans don’t like the changes, but honestly I think they can just stick to watching the original if they hate it so much. It teaches young women to be bold and fight for a change. Even though there’s a lot of hate for this movie, it was definitely a pleasant surprise and a must watch!