Conservative media company The Daily Wire recently announced that it is producing a live-action Snow White movie titled “Snow White and the Evil Queen.” The decision to create this film comes as a response to the right-wing backlash over Disney’s upcoming live-action Snow White adaptation.
The Daily Wire’s movie is based on the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale, which is now in the public domain. It stars YouTuber Brett Cooper as Snow White and aims to bring the iconic story to a new generation. Cooper, who hosts the Daily Wire-produced show “The Comments Section with Brett Cooper,” expressed his excitement about playing such a beautiful and timeless character. He believes that the story of Snow White contains essential values like love, friendship, and kindness, which he can’t wait to share with the viewers.
The motivation behind The Daily Wire’s venture into the world of kids’ entertainment and their decision to produce a live-action Snow White movie is to challenge Disney’s dominance, especially on the Disney+ streaming platform. Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing explains that while they are aware they are not yet on par with Disney, they hope to become a studio with big ideas and the courage to pursue them. Boreing criticizes Disney’s apparent abandonment of Walt Disney’s legacy and sees this as an opportunity to revive the vision and values that made Disney successful.
The controversy surrounding Disney’s live-action Snow White adaptation fueled the demand for The Daily Wire’s alternative version. Conservative critics took issue with the casting of Latina star Rachel Zegler as Snow White, who was originally described as having “skin as white as snow” in the Brothers Grimm story. Additionally, Disney changed the seven dwarfs into a diverse collection of magical creatures, which further intensified the culture-war debate.
Zegler’s previous controversial comments also added fuel to the fire. She shared her dissatisfaction with the original Snow White film, stating that the new adaptation would take a very different approach to the character. Zegler emphasized that Snow White would no longer dream about true love but would focus on becoming a fearless, fair, brave, and true leader. She argued that the original story lacked representation and perpetuated outdated gender norms.
The criticisms of Disney’s changes to Snow White sparked an interview with David Hand, who worked as a designer for Disney in the 1990s and had a father who directed the original film. Hand expressed his vehement disagreement with the new film and criticized Disney for attempting to alter something that was previously a great success. He described Disney’s ideas as radical and expressed his belief that they lack respect for the legacy of the original film. Hand even went as far as to say that Walt Disney and his father would be turning in their graves due to the changes made to classic films.
Disney’s live-action Snow White is scheduled for release on March 22, 2024. At the time of The Daily Wire’s announcement, Disney had no immediate comment regarding their project. It remains to be seen how The Daily Wire’s adaptation will fare in comparison to Disney’s massive influence and longstanding legacy.
In conclusion, The Daily Wire’s decision to produce a live-action Snow White movie reflects a response to the right-wing backlash against Disney’s upcoming adaptation. By creating their own version, The Daily Wire aims to challenge Disney’s dominance in the industry and revive the values and vision that made Disney successful. The controversy surrounding Disney’s adaptation fueled the demand for an alternative version, ultimately leading to The Daily Wire’s announcement. As the release of both movies approaches, it will be interesting to see how audiences respond to each interpretation of this beloved fairy tale.