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Disney has unveiled the first trailer for its Snow White live-action remake as well as a closer look at the film’s controversial CGI dwarfs at D23.
While some elements of the movie’s material are strong – such as its lush, storybook visual style and Zegler’s voice – the dwarfs have been branded ‘scary’ and ‘unsettling’ in their initial appearance.
Billed as the ultimate fan event, D23 saw the company treating guests to nearly three hours of announcements, teasers, exclusive clips and live performances from its wide array of movie universes on Friday night, with the evening’s climax finally revealing the dwarfs in action.
Guests, including Metro.co.uk, got to see the film’s long-awaited teaser trailer first, ahead of its delayed 2025 release, as well as an exclusive look at leading lady Rachel Zegler in tuneful action as the titular princess, singing Whistle While You Work.
West Side Story star Zegler, 23, called playing Snow White ‘the honour of a lifetime’ onstage before sharing material from the movie, while Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot – who plays the iconic Evil Queen – reflected on the role being ‘completely different than anything I’ve ever done before’.
‘She’s delicious, she’s evil, she’s magic – we got to sing all these different songs – it was incredible.’
In the sneak peak of Whistle While You Work, which Zegler introduced as ‘a classic’ onstage, fans saw the actress in her costume, a faithful Sandy Powell take on the original blue, yellow and red gown, and with her hair in a bob.
Snow White encourages the dwarfs to clean up their cottage with the aid of helpful forest creatures during the number, which has been given a fresher twist via a more upbeat and musical theatre take on things.
Zegler received praise for her beautiful and assured singing from attendees, but fans were less effusive over their reactions to the seven dwarfs.
Disney has called the remake ‘a magical music adventure journeying back to the timeless story.’
Initially thought to have been recast as ‘diverse magical creatures’ after set photos leaked that seemingly showed actors with a range of ethnicities filming in the roles in Bedfordshire in July 2023, a first-look image followed in October showing Snow White insteadsurrounded by the seven dwarfs, rendered in CGI.
The painting-worthy look and colour of the remake was on full display in the extended song sequence screened at D23, with the dwarfs appearing to quite neatly match up with their animated counterparts from the 1937 version: Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Bashful, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy.
Grumpy, in particular, was easy to pick out thanks to his red tunic, scowl and resemblance to the original character.
Dopey was also a quick spot given his comically overly-long green robe and far younger face, as well as a moment when he dances alone clumsily on the top of a table.
However, this did not impress some fans.
‘The seven dwarfs of live action Snow White are giving me uncanny valley effect real hard. Please no,’ complained @nateyagi of the characters’ faces.
‘Literally why didn’t they just get real people?? These look so strange and unsettling, I hate it,’ @Mediocre Menace posted on X, adding: ‘We could have had peak but these CGI monstrosities are holding it back.’
Richard Hudson quipped: ‘Oh God, they look like Shrek characters lol.’
Meanwhile, Kaityln observed that the dwarfs were ‘giving Polar Express’, while @Mxjay-jay asked: ‘Why couldn’t they just have hired actual actors?’
However, others leapt in to defend the characters, with @drewlymadly_dply sharing: ‘They look actually fine to me… not too human to freak me out.’
‘No cuz people complained when they were people now ur mad they are cgi I don’t get it [sic],’ observed @jslii.
Prior to the leaked photos, Game Of Thrones star Peter Dinklage had fiercely criticised Disney’s decision to remake Snow White – especially as a ‘progressive’ company.
The American star, who haswho has achondroplasia, calledit ‘f***ing backwards’.
Snow White’s teaser trailer opens with a shot of the dwarfs’ cottage through the woodland, before showing their shadows and a glimpse of them recreating the famous shot from the animated version of them marching across the log.
Gadot, 39, also appears in her full glory as the Evil Queen demanding the Magic Mirror tell her ‘who is the fairest of them all’, as well as the briefest glimpse of her in old hag form.
Snow White is seen daydreaming by the wishing well, as per the original, and then rescued from getting lost in the unforgiving woods by a deer coming out of the shadows.
The trailer finishes on a flash of Snow White reaching out to take poisoned red apple from the hand of Gadot’s old witch.
Snow White, directed by The Amazing Spider-Man filmmaker Marc Webb, is based on the old Brothers Grimm fairytale, although Andrew Burnap plays a new male character called Jonathan, who replaces the traditional Prince Charming.
A musical version of the story, as well as songs featured in the 1937 film, there are new tunes penned by La La Land songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
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