With Disney’s Snow White remake just weeks away from release, a new report suggests the studio is more than ready to move on from it.
The live-action adaptation has been a magnet for controversy since it was announced, whether due to big changes from the 1937 animated classic or lead star Rachel Zegler’s comments about the original film.
At the same time, online discourse has been filled with those looking to sink the movie for its so-called “woke” agenda, regardless of how the final product turns out.
Now, a report from The Hollywood Reporter claims Disney’s lackluster marketing push speaks volumes. The studio has decided to forgo a traditional red carpet press event for the film’s Los Angeles premiere, instead opting for what they describe as “a more celebratory, family-friendly afternoon event to match the tone and target audience for the film.”
Industry insiders, however, see it differently. A theater owner and a rival studio source note that Disney’s promotion of Snow White has been “uncharacteristically quiet,” with tickets only going on sale this past Monday, less than two weeks before the film’s release.
“They’ve been going through the motions on Snow White, all but saying, ‘We need to get this thing over with,'” an exhibition source told the outlet. “An advance sales cycle of less than two weeks just screams, ‘We have zero faith in this thing.’ And it couldn’t come at a worse point, when the industry is just trying to limp along to May.”
Disney, of course, disputes that notion, insisting that the promotional rollout is going as planned. Early projections suggest the film could open with around $50 million in North America, which is respectable, but hardly a show of overwhelming confidence.
Much of the backlash against Snow White can be traced back to Zegler’s comments about the original film. While there was an unfortunate wave of racist responses to her casting, she also fueled critics by calling the original film “extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power.”
She then added that Prince Charming “literally stalks her” and embracing the idea that this version of Snow White is “PC because it needed that.”
Then you’ve got the ridiculous looking CGI seven dwarves that everyone is poking fun at. That may have not been the best creative direction.
The film is directed by Marc Webb, and it’s described as a musical reimagining of the classic tale, featuring new songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Whether audiences embrace this updated Snow White or reject it, it sounds like Disney is eager to close the book on it and move forward.
Snow White hits theaters on March 21, 2025.
Credit:Source link