Disney’s upcoming live-action film, Snow White, is making waves for its casting change, which has ignited a fierce debate over the role of diversity in entertainment.
The film, which stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White, has prompted criticism from some charity groups as well as actor Peter Dinklage, who last year called the classic fairy tale ‘f****** backwards’ for its use of seven dwarfs.
Disney has now addressed these concerns, replacing the dwarf characters with ‘magical creatures’ and ‘taking a different approach’ to avoid reinforcing stereotypes.
The company has said that they are consulting with members of the dwarfism community throughout the early stages of production.
It’s not just the dwarves that have changed: Zegler is the latest actress to be cast as Snow White and is of Columbian-American heritage, whereas traditionally the character’s skin was said to be so fair it was “as white as snow.”
Speaking about the change, Zegler said ‘It’s an 85-year-old cartoon and our version is a refreshing story about a young woman who has a function beyond “Someday My Prince Will Come.”
The company faced further criticism last year when it slapped racism warnings on some of its most iconic movies, including Peter Pan and The Jungle Book, to alert viewers to sensitive scenes.
The media conglomerate believes some of its older cartoons contain outdated racial or ethnic stereotypes.
This worrying trend in diversity-friendly entertainment has sparked fierce debate, with many in favor of current casting decisions and others wishing for more “authentic” adaptations.
While it remains to be seen how audiences will respond to the changes to the Snow White film, there’s no doubt that Disney has taken great strides to ensure more diverse representation on screen.
But while some hail the move an “important step forward” in how characters are portrayed, others are skeptical and remain unconvinced of its motives.
One thing is certain: it looks like this debate over the importance of diversity in storytelling isn’t going away anytime soon.
It just gets worse and worse….
The new Snow White says that the Prince was a creepy stalker and suggests that all scenes of the Prince could be cut
She’s a walking PR disaster for Disney pic.twitter.com/7QJGDIx5er
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 13, 2023
