Disney Scales Back Snow White Premiere Amid Controversies: Actor Reveals Truth Behind Dwarf Changes

In the midst of ongoing debates about Disney’s “Snow White,” one of its cast members has verified a suspicion shared by many: Disney seems hesitant to stage a grand, full-scale premiere event.

Martin Klebba, who voices Grumpy in the film, revealed that the studio scaled back the event over fears of backlash. However, despite his criticism of Disney’s handling of the Seven Dwarfs, Klebba also repeated the studio’s talking point that they always intended to use motion-capture animation for the characters—a claim that directly contradicts previous reports, leaked set photos, and even past statements from Disney itself.

Disney Is “Afraid of the Blowback” Over Snow White

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Klebba openly acknowledged that the upcoming premiere is not the major event one would expect for a film remaking Disney’s very first animated classic.

“It really isn’t going to be a red carpet,” Klebba said. “It’s going to be at the El Capitan [Theatre], which is cool. But it’s basically going to be a pre-party, watch the movie, and that’s it. There’s not going to be this whole hoopla of, ‘Disney’s first f***** movie they ever made.’ Because of all this controversy, they’re afraid of the blowback from different people in society.”

This confirms that Disney is actively avoiding publicity for Snow White, a sign of just how little confidence they have in the project. Klebba specifically attributed the decision to “the controversy with Rachel,” referring to lead actress Rachel Zegler, who has been widely criticized for mocking the original Snow White and for her politically charged outbursts on social media.

Disney’s decision to shut out press at the premiere was already a red flag, but hearing one of the film’s own actors confirm that the studio is running scared only reinforces the idea that Snow White is shaping up to be a disaster.

Klebba Criticizes Disney’s Handling of the Dwarfs—But Then Pushes the Studio’s Revisionist History

Klebba also took issue with Disney’s decision to move away from the traditional portrayal of the Seven Dwarfs, a change that was heavily influenced by actor Peter Dinklage, who called the original fairy tale “backward.”

“I don’t usually get into the political stuff, but I [felt], ‘Dwarfs aren’t going to go away just because you can’t imagine that they’re there,’” Klebba said. “We’re still going to be walking around. So I didn’t get the whole stuff about not doing the dwarfs. The story’s been around forever, and it’s a classic.”

This statement is notable because Klebba is the only little person actor who was given a role in the film. His frustration highlights just how much Disney pushed out actual dwarf actors in favor of CGI creatures, a move that has drawn criticism from little people in Hollywood who saw it as a missed opportunity for real representation.

Yet, even though he was clearly upset, Klebba subsequently reiterated the studio’s argument that computer-generated dwarves had been their intention all along—an assertion that appears questionable under closer examination.

“According to Klebba, the film had already intended to use motion-capture animation for the seven miners in the film,” THR said in its article.

This is blatantly false. Set photos from 2022 clearly showed a diverse group of actors of varying sizes and genders playing the Seven Dwarfs. The backlash to those images was immediate and severe, with many fans accusing Disney of erasing the iconic characters in favor of generic human replacements.

The Hollywood Reporter itself originally acknowledged this, admitting that Disney changed course after the backlash and ultimately went with CGI instead. However, the outlet later revised their article to erase this fact, claiming that CGI was always the plan—a clear case of Disney trying to rewrite history.

By repeating this false narrative, Klebba appears to be helping Disney cover up its own flip-flopping rather than holding the studio accountable for how poorly it handled the situation.

Klebba Acknowledges Another Disney Change—The Title Itself

In yet another unexpected revelation, Klebba pointed out that Disney altered the movie’s title by omitting the dwarfs, a change from the 1937 version titled “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs“. Instead, the newer title simply refers to Snow White.

Klebba remarked, ‘I really wished they hadn’t changed it. I would have stuck around if they hadn’t. However, the marketing team seems to have their strategy down pat.’

The removal of “Seven Dwarfs” from the title is another sign of how far Disney has tried to distance itself from the traditional fairy tale, seemingly out of fear that a straightforward retelling would be labeled as problematic in modern Hollywood.

But given the massive backlash to the film’s changes, it’s clear that Disney’s attempt to rebrand Snow White has backfired completely.

Disney’s Snow White Remains a PR Nightmare

Currently, “Snow White” seems to be moving away from the grandeur expected of a significant Disney production and leaning towards a film that the studio appears eager to release expeditiously.

The scaled-back premiere confirms that Disney is afraid to fully promote the film. Klebba’s criticism of the dwarf changes shows that even people involved in the movie disagree with the studio’s handling of the project. Yet, Disney’s revisionist history about the CGI dwarfs continues, with Klebba now repeating the false claim that they were always meant to be motion-capture characters.

Disney may be desperate to avoid more controversy, but it’s far too late for that. With a lead actress who has alienated fans, a story that has been drastically altered, and a premiere that is being quietly downplayed, Snow White is shaping up to be one of Disney’s biggest misfires in years.

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2025-03-15 17:57