TheSnow Whitedirector explains how a cut scene from the original Disney movie inspired the live-action version of the 2025 story. The latest in Disney’s slew of live-action adaptationsstarsWest Side Storybreakout star Rachel Zegleras the titular princess. In addition to Zegler, the adaptation’s cast includes Gal Gadot, Jeremy Swift, Tituss Burgess, Andrew Burnap, Ansu Kabia, and Andrew Barth Feldman.Snow Whiteis set for releaselater this month on July 16, 2025.
As per the D23 Spring 2025 Magazine (viaThe Direct),Snow Whitedirector Marc Webb explained how the original animated movie influenced the version of the prince featured in the 2025 film. According to Webb,part of theSnow Whiteteam’s process was going back into the Walt Disney Archivesto explore the original. Webb observed a sketch showing “the Prince being held in the dungeon,” which inspired him to flesh out the film’s romance plotline “a bit more deeply.” Check out the full quote from Webb below:
When writing the script, we went back to the (Walt Disney) Archives to understand how Walt brought ‘Snow White’ to life. It was humbling to see the amount of work and care that went into the making of that magnificent piece of art.
One sketch that didn’t make it into the original film— about the Prince being held in the dungeon —really stuck with me. It was a storyline that Walt never got to complete to his satisfaction. So, in a sense, Jonathan was our effort to pick up where he left off.
We’ve been careful to preserve the iconography of ‘Snow White’ that we love while also exploring Snow White’s romance and romantic relationship a bit more deeply.
What This Means For Snow White
Snow White Is Expanding The Story
It is refreshing to hear thatSnow Whiteintends to expand the storyline from the originalSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsstory. After all, the original animated movie came out 88 years ago, and the original story is based on a 19th-century tale. The film’s animated counterpart only has an 83-minute runtime, which is fairly short by today’s live-action standards. Early reports have situated Disney’s newSnow Whiteat around 110 minutes, making itnearly a half an hour longer than the original filmand requiring a deeper dive.
Every Upcoming Live-Action Disney Remake In Development
There are over a dozen Disney live-action remakes currently in development. Here’s which movies are coming, when they’ll release, and who’ll star.
In the upcoming live-action film,the character in question is Jonathan, who will take over as the male lead previously led by the Prince. Little is known about the character, although Burnap will portray the role and will sing. However, Zegler hinted that the new version will be updated, which could include the execution of the love story. Thus, this new comment from Webb provides more clues as to how the male lead will be featured in the movie, implying that there could be more to his arc than what was seen in the original version.
Our Take On This Snow White News
Snow White Could Be A Better Disney Live-Action Remake Because Of This
Regardless of where it originates from,Snow Whitecould be a refreshing chance for aDisney live-action movieto do something new.Many Disney remakes (e.g.,Cinderella,The Lion King) try to be faithful to the point of tedium, copying their animated originals while adding nothing new. Webb’s quote is no guarantee thatSnow Whitewill fully avoid this fate, but it is a step in the right direction of differentiating live-action remakes from their originals.
