If you use social media, there's a very good chance you've recently seen claims that Disney's live-action version Snow White has been scrapped. Unrelated comments from lead star Rachel Zegler have already been manipulated to create more ill-feeling towards the movie and a misinformation campaign appears to be part of that.
It all started when a parody site, MouseTrap News, posted a story claiming the studio had pulled the plug on this controversial remake. Unaware that it was meant in jest, thousands of people have flocked to X and TikTok to declare victory in their war against, er, Snow White.
Despite what you might have seen, Snow White has not been cancelled by Disney.
While the movie has definitely divided opinions, there's simply no way the studio is going to scrap a movie they've spent hundreds of millions of dollars on because of social media backlash.
However, in former Hollywood Reporter editor Matt Belloni's latest Puck newsletter, he suggests the movie - currently scheduled for March 22, 2024 - will "almost certainly move off that date."
Belloni expects a lot of changes to Disney's 2024 slate as a result of the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and if Deadpool 3 moves from its current May 3, 2024 slot, that could be where Snow White ultimately lands.
Given the recent negative reaction to this latest take on the iconic fairy tale, there's a good chance Disney is planning reshoots. Either way, the recent news that Dune: Part Two has shifted from November 3 to March 15 could also be a major contributing factor.
Ultimately, Disney may have misjudged their approach to this property when it came to modernising the story. While there are problematic elements which needed to be changed (similar to The Little Mermaid), such a drastic reinvention definitely risks alienating longtime fans.
Very little has been revealed about director Marc Webb's (The Amazing Spider-Man) Snow White plans, though we know the screenplay was written by Barbie director Greta Gerwig and playwright Erin Cressida Wilson.
What we can confidently say is the movie is still being released! We're just not 100% sure when.