Disney Animator’s Son Slams ‘Woke’ Snow White

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Summary

  • Disney’s upcoming Snow White film has faced numerous controversies.
  • David Hand’s son criticizes the film for straying too far from the original story, questioning the changes made.
  • Hand’s wife Sarah also criticized Rachel Zegler.

The recently announced Disney remake of Snow White has sparked debate over time, and it appears that Disney aims to simply launch the film and put the matter behind them. However, the child of an animator who worked on the 1937 original has publicly voiced his disapproval of the project due to its alleged alterations to the original storyline.

The live-action adaptation of Snow White by Disney has sparked debate, ranging from the casting decision to give the lead role to Rachel Zegler, a Latina actress, to the revamping of the seven dwarfs to avoid perpetuating stereotypes. Additionally, the political views of the film’s two main stars – Zegler and Gal Gadot, who portrays the Evil Queen – on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been a topic of discussion. Zegler has openly expressed her support for Palestine, while Gadot, an advocate for Israel who fulfilled her mandatory military service with the Israel Defense Forces, is a supporter of her homeland. These contrasting views have led to speculation about potential tension on set. However, David Hale Hand, son of Disney animator David Hand, is more focused on how this new film might deviate from the original storyline.

In an interview with Page Six, the 93-year-old Hand expressed no intention of watching the Snow White movie due to apparent modifications he finds distressing. As his father served as supervising director for Bambi and the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, he believes the new film deviates significantly from the original tale. “The original version was how it should be. Based on what I’ve heard, [the new film] doesn’t resemble the original story at all,” Hand stated. “It strays so far from the original that it’s absurd.” Despite not viewing the movie himself, he suggests that the reported alterations are enough to make his father and Walt Disney spin in their graves.

He added:

They have reimagined the original tale and now focus on contemporary, socially-conscious themes. Instead of enhancing or preserving the classic ‘Snow White,’ they are altering its essence significantly, creating a new character altogether.

Sarah Hand, the wife of hands, also felt the same way. She mentioned that his late father-in-law took great pride in his work, and given Disney’s potential alterations to the classic storyline, he might have wondered about their decisions. Furthermore, Sarah voiced her disapproval towards Zegler for announcing she wouldn’t sing “Some Day My Prince Will Come” in the live-action version, as she described Snow White as a sweet young woman who cherishes both her prince and her seven dwarves.

Despite the persistent media attention surrounding Snow White, a significant portion of the coverage has taken a somewhat critical tone. The casting choice sparked debates among some fans, and the lead actress, Zegler, has criticized the original storyline as “extremely outdated.” She also described the prince as behaving like a “stalker” and found the 1937 version to be “weird.” Add to that the political issues Disney hopes to avoid, and it seems that the public relations challenges for Snow White may be insurmountable. Whether or not Disney will recoup their substantial investment in Snow White remains uncertain, but the odds aren’t looking favorable.

Snow White hits theaters on March 21, 2025.

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2025-03-14 23:25