Aug 21, 2023

91-Year-Old Son of "Snow White" Director Slams Disney's "Awakening" Remake

An old statement by Rachel Zegler, who stars in Disney's live-action remake of "Snow White," has resurfaced, sparking controversy among some purists and fans of the original film, including original director David Hand's son.

Who is David Hand's son and what did he say-David Hand is the 91-year-old son of David Hand, the original director of Snow White. The younger Hand worked as a designer for the Walt Disney Company in the 1990s. In an interview with The Telegraph about the new film, he lamented:

I am afraid of what they are going to do with the early films. They've changed the story, they've changed the thought process of the characters, it's not the original story anymore. They are creating something new and I am not interested in any of it. Frankly, I find it a little insulting that Disney has tampered with these classics. There is no respect for what Disney did and what my father did: ...... I think both Walt and my father are spinning in their graves.

What is the background to The Telegraph interview - The magazine spoke with Hand after Zegler's comments resurfaced at the 2022 D23 Expo. At the time, she said:

It's no longer 1937. It's not about being saved by a prince or dreaming of true love. She dreams of becoming the leader she knows she can be, and the leader her late father taught her she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true: ...... We are taking a different approach to a film that many would assume is a love story just because we cast a man in it: ...... I think it's one of those films that everyone assumes what the film will actually be, but it really is a really, really great film that really has nothing to do with a love story at all. [Disney legend Tim Rice, lyricist for dozens of hit musicals, including Disney films like "The Lion King" and "Aladdin," was asked by the conservative British broadcaster GB News for his opinion on the matter. Rice has been involved in several of Disney's live-action remakes, and in the case of "Snow White" he argued: [If an animated feature was so brilliantly successful in 1937, when it wasn't even me, as "The Little Mermaid" was, or as "Snow White" was, It is often a mistake to try to redo it.

In an interview, Rice also objected to Zegler's characterization of Snow White, saying:

In fact, the character of Snow White in that early film is not just a cipher; she makes some decisions and is a very good and nice person. But we can't do that again now, and why should we?

He went on to say that he thinks Disney would be better off making an entirely new movie rather than classifying something so different as a remake.

Disney's live-action version of "Snow White" is scheduled for release on March 22, 2024.