Why has the live-action ‘Snow White’ remake been delayed?

Earlier today, it was announced that Disney’s live-action remake of their first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937), has been delayed significantly. According to Variety, the film has been delayed just one day shy of an entire year — originally set for March 22nd, 2024, and now scheduled for release on March 21st, 2025.

The internet has been full of misinformation regarding the upcoming film, notably due to controversy surrounding lead actress Rachel Zegler. Debate over Zegler’s casting in the titular role has been fervent from the outset, beginning with contention over a Latina actress portraying Snow White. More recently, comments by Zegler over what she perceived as outdated gender roles in the fairy tale were met with criticism by David Hand, son of the director of the original film (who shares the same name), as well as significant right-wing backlash.

Controversy drives clicks and shares, which has led to multiple false reports about the film’s production, particularly on Facebook and YouTube, where misinformation is much harder to control and contextualize. False claims that Rachel Zegler was fired and subsequently recast as Snow White are among the most common, or that the project has been scrapped and restarted over concerns about apparent overly-progressive storytelling in the remake.

Likely because the movie’s release is so long-delayed, questions around Snow White have only played into the hands of fake news peddlers, whose stock in trade is rumors regarding Zegler. With no promotional trailer or posters having been released yet, either, unconfirmed theories and misinformation have spread quickly online. Now, even an adaptation of Snow White produced by right-wing site The Daily Wire made in response to Zegler’s role will be released before the controversial film.

The reason for the delay is actually outside of Snow White’s production; it reflects larger issues in the film industry as a whole. With such intense focus on this polarizing film in comparison to other Disney movies in the pipeline, though, Disney’s actual role in the delay has been largely ignored on social media.

Why has the live-action Snow White been delayed?

While Disney has made no statement on their decision to delay Snow White, it’s one of many films delayed by Disney in recent weeks. Just last week, the studio announced that many of their hotly-anticipated films, including (but not limited to) the critically acclaimed Yorgos Lanthimos film Poor Things, as well as multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) projects, have been delayed, with many moving into the following calendar year.

Internet gossip sites will no doubt be quick to blame Zegler again, but the primary reason Snow White has been significantly pushed back is the ongoing strikes by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), in their labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

After recent talks between the two parties failed to progress, the strikes look likely to go on into the new year, meaning that various film and television productions will no longer finish on schedule. Even films like Snow White, which have wrapped principal photography, rely on re-shoots — almost all films do. Even Barbie (2023) held reshoots earlier this year, and it is not necessarily a sign of a troubled production. With actors prohibited from promoting or discussing their films during the strike, Disney will be keen to accompany their releases with a traditional promotional tour to attract audiences.

If Disney were planning to make some serious changes to Snow White — such as visuals, core story concept, or casting — it is highly doubtful that the stuido would release stills from the upcoming film on the same day. Today, the first look at the live-action remake has been released to the public, sure enough featuring Rachel Zegler as Snow White, surrounded by the seven dwarves.

The still serves as a sort of announcement in itself, as the image confirms that Disney will be using CGI dwarves in the film, after many actors from the community criticized Snow White’s decision to cast average-sized actors. Moreover, this first official look at Rachel Zegler in character perhaps serves as an example of the studio quietly doubling down on their decision to cast the actress as the original Disney princess, online grousing be damned.