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Disney Has Responded to Peter Dinklage's Snow White 'Backwards' Comment


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Credit: Television Academy/YouTube

Disney responded on Tuesday to Peter Dinklage's recent harsh criticisms of the upcoming live-action remake of Snow White.

The Emmy-winning Game of Thrones star was a guest on Marc Maron's WTF podcast on Monday, when he slammed the upcoming film based on the 1937 animated masterpiece.

Snow White is ‘F—king Backwards’

Dinklage blasted the upcoming Disney remake on Maron's podcast, stating, "It's f—king backwards." The Cyrano star was discussing Disney's decision to select a Latina actress, but pointed out the studio's hypocrisy in making a picture with a "backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together."

Dinklage went on to suggest that he would be up for a remake with a "cool or progressive spin on it."

"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," he told Maron.

Dinklage, who has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, went on to add that Disney should have taken a step back and reassessed the project.

"You're progressive in one way and you're still making that f---ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f--- are you doing man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I'm not loud enough."

Disney’s Response

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney responded to the actor's comments, saying that the film will take "a different approach with these seven characters" in order to "avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film."

During the film's "lengthy development period," the company said it consulted with members of the dwarfism community.

Rachel Zegler, fresh from her acclaimed debut in West Side Story, stars in the remake, with Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. The film, directed by Marc Webb, is said to be an adaptation and extension of the 1937 Disney animated classic, which was based on a Brothers Grimm story.

Snow White and the Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart, received a backlash when it was released a decade ago because the dwarves were played by actors of average height – including Bob Hoskins and Ian McShane – whose faces were digitally transmuted onto small bodies.

The actor Danny Woodburn compared this technique to "blackface," while the LA dwarf theatre group Beacher's Madhouse threatened a "100-midget march" to Universal's offices in protest of "injustice and prejudice."

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