Disney’s Live-Action ‘Snow White’ Remake starring Rachel Zegler Delayed

Fans excited to see West Side Story star Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, in the Disney live-action remake of the classic princess film Snow White will have to wait. A modern twist on the original 1937 film, Snow White stars Zegler in the titular role, the first time a Latina actress will take on this interpretation of the princess, and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Disney recently announced that the release date for the film has been pushed from its original March 22, 2024 to March 21, 2025. They also released the very first still from the film, which features Zegler in the iconic Snow White dress along with the dwarves Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, Sleepy, and Doc.

“Most of my character does not work for today’s audience, I’ll just say it,” Zegler said last year, according to PEOPLE. “We did a really deep dive into fixing and making a modern woman out of Snow White. She’s a bit more independent. She’s also living in grief. I mean, there was a lot of complex emotion that we decided to deep-dive into. We really see the journey she goes to become a really just and wonderful leader.”

The original animated film (1937) made history as the first Disney princess and the first full-length traditionally animated feature film as well as Disney’s first animated feature film. Walt Disney was awarded an honorary Oscar because of the historic animation of the film. It began the hand-drawn animation style that would rule the studio until computer-generated animation became popular in the 2010s.

A similar story could also be true for the remake as well, which features Zegler as the first Latina Snow White in Disney history. The film, which will be a more modern twist on the tale, will feature CGI versions of the Seven Dwarves and brand-new songs written by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul from the musical The Greatest Showman. But at its heart, this is a film that will undoubtedly showcase the best of what Zegler has to offer.

“Rachel’s extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts,” said director Marc Webb in 2022. “Her strength, intelligence and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale.”

While the delay is disappointing for fans awaiting another Disney live-action remake, the new timeline will ensure the film lives up to expectations. In the meantime, Zegler will next be seen on the big screen this November in the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and the upcoming animated film Spellbound, releasing in 2024 on Netflix.