Disney recently delayed the upcoming Snow White remake by an entire year amid a seemingly endless stream of negative headlines. However, to prove to fans at least some of what they've heard isn't true, the studio shared a shot of Rachel Zegler's Disney Princess surrounded by the classic Seven Dwarfs.
Alas, the rough state of the visual effects has led many to speculate the image was thrown together in a hurry and that the characters will be added to the movie in reshoots likely to take place between the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike and the new March 2025 release date.
Mail Online (via SFFGazette.com) has since chimed in, revealing that Disney is scrambling to figure out how to save a movie they've allegedly already spent $330 million on.
"Disney had to delay Snow White because they have spent so much money on it, and if it is a financial disaster at the box office, it might single handedly cripple future remakes and potential Snow White sequels that they have planned," a supposed insider tells the site.
"They also have to remove themselves from the bad taste in the mouths of online critics and want to instead deliver a great film and get to a point where they get it right. They realize that they were overthinking things and are now reigning it all in a little bit more."
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage has widely been blamed for Disney's decision to ditch the Seven Dwarfs after comments from the actor in which he called Snow White a "f***ing backwards story" went viral. Comments about the classic cartoon from Rachel Zegler did little to help matters, while a Snow White stand-in was spotted shooting scenes with men and women of different racial backgrounds, with only one of them played by a little person.
Disney would deny the set photos were real, though multiple sources have since confirmed those were the real deal. "The Bandits" are expected to still be part of the remake, presumably because they're in too many scenes to ditch them at this stage.
The report goes on to claim that Disney is looking at Cats and Sonic the Hedgehog to help them figure out what not to do (the latter famously changed the title character's design after fan backlash; as for Cats, it's widely considered one of the worst musicals ever made).
"It is a perfect storm right now, but they are embracing change and anticipate it all to work out and exceed expectations. The work starts now," that unnamed source adds. "They also had to delay the movie because they not only have to make it as best as they can, but there are a lot of toys that they have to prepare, so they need the dwarves and the rest of the characters to look exactly like who they are supposed to be."
Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) directs Snow White from a screenplay by Barbie director Greta Gerwig and playwright Erin Cressida Wilson.
In terms of cast, the movie stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White, Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman, Martin Klebba as Grumpy, and Andrew Burnap as Jonathan.
Snow White is now set to be released in theaters on March 21, 2025.