Split image comparing animated and live-action renditions of Snow White; left shows Snow White with a red apple, right features a real-life actress dressed as Snow White with two dwarfs.

Disney is reportedly changing a significant plot point in its upcoming live-action version of Snow White (2025).

The Walt Disney Company is currently developing several highly anticipated movies, ranging from exciting new entries in the Star Wars and Marvel universes to new and original animated adventures. Inside Out 2, Disney’s long-awaited sequel to the hit 2015 Pixar film, will be released this June, marking nearly a decade since the original movie came out. Disney will also revitalize its Marvel Cinematic Universe this year with the release of Deadpool & Wolverine in July, bringing back Ryan Reynolds’ “Merc with a Mouth” and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to the silver screen.

However, things get even more exciting in 2025, with several films from Marvel, Pixar, and Walt Disney Pictures set to release. Fans will finally see the continuation of the Captain America story with Captain America: Brave New World and other new MCU stories like Thunderbolts* and Blade. However, Disney’s most talked-about upcoming film sees the company attempt to retell the classic tale of its original animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

Live-action remakes are nothing new for The Walt Disney Company, with Disney attempting to cash in on some of its largest and most recognizable films. Disney dipped its toe into the world of live-action in 2015 with Cinderella, branching out to other beloved princess fairytales such as Beauty and the Beast in 2017 and The Little Mermaid in 2023. While fans may see these as uninspired and unoriginal Disney releases, it’s hard to deny their popularity. Disney’s retelling of The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, grossed nearly $600 million. Disney’s live-action version of The Lion King grossed $1.6 billion in 2019, with a prequel currently in development titled Mufasa. 

However, the excitement for Disney’s upcoming live-action Snow White film has been dashed by controversy and intense backlash, all stemming from the film’s lead, Rachel Zegler.Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Disney revealed that its new version of Snow White would star Rachel Zegler, a young actress who got her start with various blockbusters such as West Side Story (2021), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023). Zegler was revealed to be portraying the iconic Disney princess, and excitement reached an all-time high. Unfortunately, this excitement would fall tremendously due to comments made by Zegler regarding the new film.

Snow White has been swallowed up by both hype and controversy, with many fans calling for a total boycott of the film due to Zegler’s comments.

In a discussion with Deadline, Zegler made her feelings about the original film very clear.

“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937,” Zegler said. “We absolutely wrote a ‘Snow White’ that … she’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.”

Zegler has continually criticized Snow White and the film itself, going as far as to joke about removing the Prince character from the new film entirely. Zegler stated that Snow White does not need to fall in love and can instead be powerful on her own. This is a respectable mission, but one that seems to misinterpret what the original Snow White film was about in the first place.

Following these comments, a pivotal scene from the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs film is rumored to have been changed entirely for the upcoming live-action version.

Evil Queen as an Old Crone giving Snow White the poisoned appleAccording to reliable Hollywood scooper Daniel Richtman, Disney is looking to shake things up regarding the poison apple scene. Not much has been revealed, but it is reported that Disney will change this iconic scene in a major way. Earlier this year, an image of Zegler’s Snow White holding the poison apple leaked online, indicating the apple would be making an appearance in the film.

Zegler’s negative comments about the original Snow White mostly revolved around the prince, with the actress stating Snow White doesn’t need a man to save her. It’s possible that Snow White will overcome the Evil Queen’s tricks in an entirely different way than in the original film, which sees the princess be awakened by true love’s kiss.

According to Richtman, Disney’s live-action Snow White is already being praised for being “great.”

Disney’s live-action Snow White was originally intended to be released in 2024 but was eventually pushed back a whole year to 2025. Rachel Zegler’s Snow White will open on March 21, 2025, marking one of the most anticipated moments for The Walt Disney Company in recent memory.