Disney is facing backlash over its depiction of the dwarfs in the upcoming live-action “Snow White” remake.
Photos of a largely non-white cast that seemed to include only one actual dwarf surfaced recently, and Disney promptly issued a statement describing the images as “fake.” Then they backtracked on their claims by releasing a correction notice, indicating there had been a “misunderstanding.” They now claim the photos were in fact from their production, but are not “official” photographs, according to Fox News.
Disney’s live-action ‘Snow White’ under fire for replacing seven dwarfs with ‘magical creatures’ of all sizes, genders https://t.co/wLKPVBcOvJ pic.twitter.com/D5F5r8xmQc
— New York Post (@nypost) July 17, 2023
The Daily Mail published a report Friday that peered into Disney’s live-action production of the legendary tale and slammed Disney for swapping in a cast of generic “magical creatures” in an effort to be more politically correct.
Disney quickly reassured irate commenters that the images were “fake,” but then walked back those comments and updated their statement to indicate that the real cast of the real film appears in the photos, but that they were not official production images.
“The photos are fake and not from our production,” Disney originally said, with a spokesperson telling the Daily Beast that the company was “trying to have the Daily Mail issue a correction.”
Disney eventually admitted in a statement to Hollywood Reporter that it had chosen to depict the seven dwarfs in the manner seen in the images after “consulting with members of the dwarfism community” in order to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film.” (RELATED: Dan Benson Says He Has No Regrets Going From Disney Star To Porn Star)
Welcome to some of the first images from Disney’s live action remake of Snow White and her DEI Dwarfs. Snow White is played by a Hispanic actress and there’s only one dwarf and 6 full gown adults. Disney says it’s taking the casting of the film in a “new direction” to “avoid… pic.twitter.com/sqiRHkyf97
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 14, 2023
The dwarf debacle began in Jan. 2022 when actor Peter Dinklage, who has dwarfism, blasted the idea of a “Snow White” remake that cast actors with dwarfism as Sleepy, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Bashful, Sneezy and Doc. “You’re progressive in one way and you’re still making that fucking backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the fuck are you doing, man?” Dinklage said on a podcast.