With only a week left before the premiere ofDisney’s Snow Whitenow is as good a time as any to look back on theSnow Whitespinoff that Disney nearly made back in 2016. For decades, Disney has been behind some of the most iconic animated and children’s films of all time, and one of the most pivotal isSnow White.Remembered asDisney’s very first animated feature film, it tells the story ofSnow White, a beautiful maiden who is targeted by her jealous step-mother, forcing her to find safety with a group of seven dwarves.
Disney’s Snow Whiteis the latest in a long line of Disney live-action adaptations, which have premiered to varying degrees of success. Although many ofDisney’s live-action remakeshave raked in millions, critics have not always been so fond of them.Disney’s Snow Whiteis a particularly interesting case because the movie is reimagining a truly iconic story, yet has been bogged down by controversies such as casting issues and CGI. Thus,it is important to remember how much it took forDisney’s Snow Whiteto get to where it is now, including a whole other spinoff film.
Disney Developed A Snow White Spinoff Movie About Her Sister, Rose Red, In 2016
What Is The Original Story Of Rose Red
Some may be surprised to learn that before Disney began developinga live-action adaptation ofSnow White, they considered making a live-action spinoff about Snow White’s sister, Rose Red. Although 1937’sSnow White and Seven Dwarvesnever makes mention of the princess having a sister,the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale focuses on both Snow White and her sister, Rose Red.Apparently, Disney hoped to bring back this previously looked-over part of the story via a live-action spinoff. It first went into development in March 2016, and in 2018,GeekTyrantreported that Brie Larson was rumored to join the cast.
Strangely, this is far from the plot of the Grimm Brothers’Snow-White and Rose-Red,which follows young sisters who befriend a bear, who ultimately ends up being a prince.
Apparently, the plot ofRose Redwas going to revolve around the second half ofSnow White and the Seven Dwarves,wherein Snow White eats the poisoned apple and falls into a deep sleep.Rose Red, along with the dwarves, would have gone on a missionto save her sister. Strangely, this is far from the plot of the Grimm Brothers’Snow-White and Rose-Red,which follows young sisters who befriend a bear, who ultimately ends up being a prince. Clearly, Disney was more interested in expanding the story it had already told rather than starting a completely new one.
Disney Began Development On A Proper Snow White Live-Action Movie Months Later
Why Disney’s Snow White Has Taken So Long
Just seven months after puttingRose Redinto development, Disney decided to also pursue a live-action adaptation ofSnow White.The project quickly recruited a number of big names, including Marc Platt as lead producer, then went somewhat silent. Three years later, it was announced that Marc Webb would direct the film. Then, casting didn’t truly begin until 2021, whenRachel Zegler and Gal Gadotwere confirmed to be playing Snow White and the Evil Queen respectively. Ultimately,from 2016 to 2021, Disney was working on bothSnow WhiteandRose Red.
SinceSnow White’sdevelopment began in 2016, many may be wondering why the movie took nearly a decade to make. Aside from the fact that they were also working onRose Red,Disney was likely also caught up with other projects.In 2016 alone, Disney put outZootopia, The Jungle Booklive-action remake,Alice Through the Looking Glass, Finding Dory,andMoana.Furthermore, with a story as iconic asSnow White,executives probably wanted to verify they got everything right, especially in terms of the script. Thus,Disney’s Snow Whitebecame a long-haul project.
Disney Officially Canceled The Rose Red Movie In 2021
Just asDisney’s Snow Whitebegan heating up,Rose Redwas abandoned. Disney canceled production on the live-action spinoff in 2021. It isn’t entirely clear why Disney decided not to move forward withRose Red,but a good guess would be creative struggles. WithSnow Whitealready being so iconic, it may have been difficult to figure out a story that would honor the original Disney princess while also shining a spotlight on Rose Red. On top of that,Disney may have tabledRose Redin order to focus more heavily onDisney’s Snow White.
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In hindsight,Rose Red’scancelation can be seen as both a good and bad thing. On one hand, it is disappointing that this new story lost its footing, and that audiences won’t be able to see this forgotten character come to life any time soon. Then again,cancelingRose Redhas allowed Disney to pursue other projectsthat might be of more interest at the moment. For example, 2025’s upcomingLilo & Stitchlooks like it could be one of Disney’s bestlive-action adaptations yet. Perhaps it is better forRose Redto be delayed until the perfect moment.
Will The Live-Action Snow White Remake Help The Rose Red Movie Finally Happen?
Why Rose Red Should Happen
That being said, it would be awesome ifRose Redcame to fruition after the release ofDisney’s Snow White.IfSnow Whiteends up doing well, at least at the box office, then Disney will have plenty of reason to continuewith the franchise. In fact, the same situation occurred after 2019’s live-actionLion King,which resulted in 2024’sMufasa: The Lion King.The timing could not be better forRose Red’sreturn, especially ifSnow Whitemanages to renew interest in the fairy tale.Disney’s Snow Whitecould even leave hints towardsRose Red’sstory.
Predicting Snow White’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Using Disney’s Live-Action Remakes & Franchise History
Disney’s Snow White is a little over a week from its premiere, and based on past performances of live-action Disney movies, this is how it will do.
Ultimately,Rose Redshould eventually be made because it has an interesting concept that could go in countless directions. While Disney could continue with its idea of having Rose Red be part of Snow White’s journey with the Evil Queen, the movie could also hark back to the original fairy tale or do something else entirely. Either way,Rose Redis a good opportunity for Disney to mix old with new. Hopefully,Disney’s Snow Whitecan prove thatRose Redneeds to happen.
