Disney Responds to Peter Dinklage's 'Snow White' Remarks
Disney prides itself on being a (supposedly) progressive company.
As we covered just a few days ago, Peter Dinklage was recently on Marc Maron's podcast talking about the news that Disney was remaking Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Dinklage said, "I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White. You're still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Take a step back and look at what you're doing there. It makes no sense to me. You're progressive in one way, and you're still making that fucking backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the fuck are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I'm not loud enough."
Now, Disney has an answer for him, and it's pretty straightforward.
"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 in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. They continued, "We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period."
Without knowing how they're being depicted, this feels like a good answer from Disney. My guess is that this film is still in the early script stages and they'll work something out. But I also think this is an amazing win for Dinklage. He was able to use his clout to support his community, one that Hollywood has long ignored.
This is a win-win situation that might result in a more progressive and empathetic film.
Let us know what you think in the comments.