Disney’s live-action Snow White was supposed to be a part of the 2024 movie schedule, but lengthy delays forced the studio to push it to the 2025 release schedule. Thankfully, the Mouse House knows how impatient their fans are and officially shared the first teaser trailer during D23’s Entertainment Showcase presentation. Unfortunately, it’s getting mixed reactions from fans, with many critiquing the CGI Dwarfs. While I have my opinions about the beloved characters, I’m more concerned with Rachel Zegler's awful wig.
After the trailer premiered at the panel, Zegler shared it to her fans via Instagram in the middle of the night. Despite initial backlash over her casting, her comments were flooded with nothing but support, including praise for the West Side Story actress’s impressive vocals during a short clip of the iconic Disney song “Whistle While You Work.”
Fans Aren’t Too Happy About The Dwarfs’ New Look
While the trailer is getting praised, fans aren’t sure about the Dwarfs’ new look. Admittedly, the seven characters have been a point of contention since the adaptation was announced. Emmy-award-winning actor Peter Dinklage shared his blunt thoughts about the movie back in 2022, which led to Disney responding with a reassuring message that they would not be reinforcing negative stereotypes about dwarfism in the film.
Disney’s solution seems to have come in the form of the CGI characters that fans were formally introduced to when the teaser was released. Unfortunately, they’re not too thrilled about the lackluster and “uncanny valley effect” characters.
It’s surprising that a studio that created some of the best photo-realistic CGI animation in The Lion King could create something so off-putting. The beloved characters look more like the creepy motion capture designs we’ve seen in Disney’s A Christmas Carol or The Polar Express.
In my opinion, it would have worked better if they had kept the traditional animated design, or perhaps they could have taken a page out of Wish’s book and gone with a more modernized, Easter-Egg-inspired take on the beloved characters.
But I’m More Concerned About Snow White’s Wig
While I admit I’m not the biggest fan of the Dwarfs' designs, it will probably grow on me as we get closer to its 2025 release. I’m more concerned with the atrocious wig Zegler was sporting for the duration of the teaser trailer.
Snow White’s beautiful bob is iconic, and yet the wig shown in the trailer is more reminiscent of Shrek’s Lord Farquaad's terrible hair. It’s far too short and lacks the volume that is synonymous with the original princess’s look. I was also shocked to realize that she’s not sporting the iconic red headband either.
It’s an atrocious miss from such a high-budget movie, especially when one considers the fact that the perfect Snow White wig does exist. In fact, the Disney Company owns multiple! If you’ve visited a Disney theme park recently, you’ll know I’m referring to the wig worn by cast members who portray Snow White in the parks.
Unlike Zegler’s lackluster wig, the one worn by cast members is perfect. It looks like it came straight out of the animated classic with perfectly shaped curls and a shade of black that resembles ebony like the original design invoked. It’s mind-boggling to me that Marc Webb and the hair and makeup team on the live-action team decided to create the new look instead of simply borrowing the perfect wig.
This isn’t the first time fans like myself have had issues with the live-action adaptation costume choices, and it likely won’t be the last. However, it is the most frustrating, considering there was a perfect choice already in existence.
With many fans growing tired of countless Disney live-action adaptations, and Snow White already dealing with a fair share of criticism, it will be interesting to see how it performs at the box office in 2025. The good news is that regardless of what happens, fans will always have the original to turn back on, which they can stream with a Disney+ subscription.
