David Hand, son of one of the original “Snow White” film directors, recently voiced his scathing criticism of the upcoming Disney remake of the classic movie, claiming that the remake is a disgrace to his father and to Walt Disney.
“I find it quite frankly a bit insulting [what] they may have done with some of these classic films,” Hand said in remarks to The Telegraph. “There’s no respect for what Disney did and what my dad did. I think Walt and he would be turning in their graves.”
The original 1937 film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” had Hand’s father, also named David Hand, as a supervising director. The younger David Hand, who also had a career stint as a designer for Disney in the 1990s, appears to be echoing a sentiment held by many who revere the original animated film.
On the other hand, Rachel Zegler, the incongruously swarthy star of the new film named after its main character’s pale complexion, has attracted controversy with her statements criticizing the original film.
“She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love,” Zegler revealed to Variety at the 2022 D23 Expo. “She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.”
“We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story, just because we cast a guy in the movie, Andrew Burnap, great dude,” Zegler continued. “It’s really not about the love story at all, which is really, really wonderful.”
However, Hand’s concerns reach beyond just “Snow White.” He expressed unease about Disney’s approach to its classic films.
“I’m afraid of what they’re going to do with the early films,” Hand remarked. He didn’t hesitate to label Disney’s new direction as “woke” and was confident that both his father and Walt Disney would have disapproved.
“It’s a whole different concept and I just totally disagree with it, and I know my dad and Walt would also very much disagree with it,” Hand asserted.
He went on to critique the changes in storylines and character motivations, stating, “They change the stories, they change the thought process of the characters.” Hand expressed his distaste for the “new woke things” he believes are being introduced.
The 2024 film adaptation has stirred controversy, especially with its decision to replace the seven dwarfs with multiracial, mixed-gender “magical creatures.” Zegler responded to the backlash with platitudes about kindness and positivity.
“I hope the world becomes kinder,” Zegler remarked, conveying her “exhaustion” from the negative attention.
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