Dwarf actors have expressed their fury at Disney’s Snow White remake over the use of CGI characters, claiming it’s ‘discriminating in a sense’ and even claiming it could damage their careers.
In the upcoming live-action film – starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot – set to be released in the UK on Friday March 21, the seven dwarves have been replaced by computer-generated ‘magical creatures’.
After bosses reportedly declined to hold an elaborate premiere in London, the launch of the popular Disney classic was relocated to a remote castle in Segovia, north-west of Madrid.
Bodybuilder and performer Choon Tan, 31, from north London, who has dwarfism, told FEMAIL that the movie’s reliance on CGI for the seven dwarves is ‘absolutely absurd and discriminating in a sense’.
He added: ‘I think Disney is trying too hard to be politically correct, but in doing so it’s damaging our careers and opportunities.
‘There really is nothing wrong casting someone with dwarfism as a dwarf in any given opportunity. As long as we are treated equally and with respect, we’re usually more than happy to take on any acting roles that are suitable for us.
Choon added that he would’ve loved to have played the role of one of the seven dwarves in the upcoming remake.
‘We get paid to do what we love to do, acting and performing.’
‘Plus it’s also an opportunity for young children to see someone with dwarfism, which they may have never seen before.’
Supporting Choon’s views on the new film, fellow performer Blake Johnston, 42, from Melbourne, Australia, also told the publication how he believes the decision to use CGI is ‘quite stupid’.
‘We have plenty of dwarf actors out there who are dying for roles like this. I think Disney have succumb to peer pressure on political correctness, which has now given top dwarf actors less work,’ he said.
He added: ‘I’m offended by the decision because Disney had the greatest educational story of all time now they have made it as a joke.
When the first teaser trailer dropped in August 2024, it sparked more than 1.4million dislikes from its 11million views, based largely on what was seen as its overuse of CGI in the creation of the seven dwarfs.
They were previously reported as having been renamed and reimagined as ‘magical creatures’ instead, being portrayed by live actors.
This comes after Wicked actor Peter Dinklage – who has a common form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia – branded the story ‘backwards’.
The actor, 55, said on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast in 2022: ‘You’re progressive in one way and you’re still making that f**king backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f**k are you doing man?’
Pro-Palestinian activists have also called for a boycott of the movie over Disney’s casting of Israeli actress and Wonder Woman star Gal, 39,as the evil queen.
West Side Story actress Rachel, 23, has also been in the firing line of some fans for criticising the original film – released nearly 88 years ago – as ‘dated’.
She shared her opinion on elements such as Snow White’s relationship with Prince Charming as a ‘guy who literally stalks her’ in an interview with ExtraTV at the Disney D23 Expo in September 2022, calling it ‘weird’, which didn’t sit well with fans.
Her revelation in a separate interview with Variety at the event that Snow White was ‘not going to be dreaming about true love’ anymore and rather ‘about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true’, also rubbed former Disney designer David Hand the wrong way.
‘I find it quite frankly a bit insulting [what] they may have done with some of these classic films,’ he told The Telegraph.
‘There’s no respect for what Disney did and what my dad did… I think Walt and he would be turning in their graves.’
Metro also understands that no interview junket was planned for the UK, as would normally be anticipated, with extremely limited press opportunities being controlled as part of a European-wide junket in another country instead.
The film kicked off its press run in Tokyo, with leading lady Rachelperforming the film’s first new song, Waiting on a Wish, live on stage.
Metro has reached out to Disney for comment.
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