Disney has been developing a new take on Snow White for quite some time. As set photos have proven, the new film will drastically alter the original animated film’s characters. Now an additional rumor claims that the iconic dwarfs will be changed to bandits for this new Snow White iteration.
Insider @MyTimeToShineH reported the change via Twitter. As you can see below, not only will the people who save Snow White be bandits, but the male love interest will also be a bandit. The character, named Jonathan, is no longer a prince but a bandit who, along with the others, “steal from the Queen to feed the poor.” They’re compared to Robin Hood as a result.
Here’s what was shared:
The people that save Snow White in this version are called the Bandits. Jonathan, the male love interest who ISN’T a prince is also a Bandit. The Bandits are like Robin Hood, they steal from the Queen to feed the poor pic.twitter.com/wQXZ6Q4zGr
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) July 18, 2023
Many Disney fans have already responded quite negatively to the previously-shared set photos. After all, the original seven dwarfs have become an iconic piece of Disney’s catalogue. But this appears to be an effort to modernize the material. Especially following comments made by Peter Dinklage regarding actors with dwarfism. He claimed that the original dwarf characters would only reinforce negative stereotypes associated with actors with dwarfism.
In any case, we’ll just have to see how Disney’s latest Snow White movie – with bandits in place of dwarfs – connects with moviegoers. They’ve released other controversial live-action remakes in the past which have still managed to find success at the box office. Of course, other such blockbusters this year have received less-than-stellar reception and the financial records illustrate as much. So, with all of that in mind, only time will tell.
The upcoming film is being directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay penned by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson. The original story stems from an 1812 fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional Snow White updates as we have them.