Following in the footsteps of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid, there's a new live Disney movie in the works: a live-action Snow White! The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes actress Rachel Zegler stars as Snow White in the new iteration, and this weekend, we got the first official look at the film!
Snow White has faced plenty of controversy this year, from the actors' comments to the costumes to the rest of the cast, but I'm actually excited for it. I'll see any story that places women at the forefront!!
Here's everything you need to know about the new live action Snow White, coming in 2025.
Is there a Snow White trailer?
Well, yes, the Snow White trailer is here! And I can't stop watching. Rachel Zegler's vocals, Gal Gadot's mystery, and the handsome Jonathan. Because, FYI, Rachel clarified that the movie WILL feature romance, telling Variety that "I would never want to box someone in and say, ‘If you want love, then you can’t work.’ Or ‘If you want to work, then you can’t have a family.’ It’s not true. It’s never been true."
"The love story is very integral," she continues. "A lot of people wrote that we weren’t doing [the romance] anymore — we were always doing that; it just wasn’t what we were talking about on that day."
I have had "Waiting on a Wish" (the new song by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Rachel sings in the trailer) stuck in my head since I first heard it, and I CANNOT get enough. The vibrato on "meant" just scratches an itch in my brain!
What else has Rachel said about the movie?
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney
Like the live-action Disney movies before it, the new Snow White teaser trailer shows off a variety of shots you know and love from the original 1937 movie. But there's also a hint of modern edge that I'm excited to see in the final film. While the cartoon Snow White is pure sweetness, Rachel Zegler adds a touch of sass, spunk, and determination. I have no doubt she'll be able to bring the iconic princess into the modern age without sacrificing the goodness we love in the original character!
But as much as I love seeing Rachel Zegler in this starring role, I was not expecting the entire movie to look so CGI. The live-action Cinderella was successful aesthetically because it used so many practical elements, but so far, the Snow White visuals — from the animals to the dwarves to the cottage — seem a little hazy.
However some people are taking their critiques wayyyy too far and sending Zegler literal death threats. "fun fact i will be dying eight times a week on broadway this fall!!!!!" she says in response to a now-deleted tweet. "get your tickets, lee! also @fbi." You can see Zegler star in Romeo + Juliet opposite Kit Connor.
When is the live-action Snow White coming out?
Disney
Snow White Release Date
Snow White hits theaters on March 21, 2025! Check out the rest of the Most-Anticipated 2025 Movies you can watch next year. The lineup is already amazing.
What is the new Snow White movie about?
Disney
Snow White Plot
Based on the 1937 animated Disney movie, the 2025 Snow White will follow a similar plot, but it looks like it'll focus more on the princess becoming a leader than the OG movie. Rachel Zegler went viral for her comments on how the film would change the original story. "We absolutely wrote a Snow White [that's] not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love," Rachel says in a clip from D23 in 2022. "She’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true.”
Many internet users didn't like how Rachel phrased her problem with the original story, claiming that telling women they have to choose between falling in love and leadership is inherently anti-feminist. "No but she could fall in love AND be a leader at the same time," one TikTok user commented.
However, the extreme backlash to Rachel's comments was put in a new light after Priscilla star Jacob Elordi (who plays Elvis Presley) joked he didn't know much about Elvis except what he learned on Lilo & Stitch.
"Okay but when Rachel Zegler says she wasn’t a fan of the original Snow White (a cartoon btw), and only revisited it for her role as Snow White, she’s 'entitled' and a brat," one user wrote on X. "This just confirms Rachel Zegler hate is literally just misogyny." Say it louder for the people in the back!
Who else is in the cast of Snow White?
Disney
Snow White Cast
Gal Gadot will star as the Evil Queen opposite Rachel Zegler's Snow White. We'll also see Andrew Burnap as Jonathan (in place of the original film's Prince) and Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman.
I love that Rachel is starring as Snow White because she has always captured goodness and integrity without becoming harsh, which is a true feat. And director Marc Webb feels the same way. "[She] has an inherent grace, poise and goodness that reminds me so much of what is essential to Snow White," he told Variety.
Will Snow White be a musical?
Disney
Yes, Snow White is going to be a musical, just like the original film! In addition to original songs like "Whistle While You Work," La La Land and The Greatest Showman writers Pasek and Paul (who also added a couple of new songs to the 2019 Aladdin) wrote some new tunes for the film.
How many dwarves does Snow White have?
Disney
In the original film, Snow White meets seven dwarves: Doc, Bashful, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Happy, and Sleepy. After actor Peter Dinklage expressed his anger over the new story ("You're still making that f—king backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f—k are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soap box? I guess I'm not loud enough," he said in an episode of Marc Maron's WTF podcast), Disney released a statement to Good Morning America saying they were changing the original story.
"To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community," a Disney spokesperson said. "We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period."
However, the movie's first look clearly shows Rachel Zegler's Snow White surrounded by seven dwarfs, and honestly, we're even more confused than we were before about how Disney has updated the story, if at all.
What is the original dark story of Snow White?
Disney
In the original Grimm's Fairytales Snow White, the princess avoids even more brushes with death than she does in the Disney version. In addition to the poison apple, the queen also tries to suffocate her with too-tight bodice laces, as well as a poison comb through her hair.
Are you excited for Disney's Snow White, or do you wish they had just come up with a new story? Check out our Movies page for the latest news on the rest of this year's films, including this year's Fall Movies!
This post has been updated.
