What was supposed to be a magical revival of a Disney classic has instead become a cautionary tale in Hollywood.
The live-action Snow White remake, which was already struggling under the weight of controversy and poor reviews, just took another hit—this time from comedian Seth MacFarlane.
The Snowball of Embarrassment Keeps Rolling
Seth MacFarlane, best known as the creator of Family Guy, didn’t hold back when he took the stage during NBCUniversal’s Upfront event at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Monday.
As he broke into a musical number poking fun at rival platforms like Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix, he used the moment to take a jab at Disney’s much-criticized Snow White remake.
With his usual sharp humor, MacFarlane belted out, “But you’ll feel fright when you see Snow White ’cause the dwarves look really f**ing weird,”* referencing the CGI-created creatures that replaced the iconic seven dwarfs.
The CGI Dwarves That Sparked Outrage
MacFarlane’s dig wasn’t random—it echoed a major gripe that’s been swirling around the film since it was announced.
In an attempt to modernize the original, Disney swapped out the traditional dwarves for “magical creatures” brought to life with computer graphics.
But rather than being applauded, the decision sparked outrage—especially among actors with dwarfism.
One particularly vocal critic, John Ferguson, took his protest straight to the theaters.
Dressed as a dwarf and holding a sign that read “Hire real dwarfs,” he posted a TikTok video calling Disney out for sidelining real performers in favor of CGI characters.
“We could’ve got them hired, we could have got money for something—but no,” he said.
Critics Line Up to Slam the Remake
Disney hoped to put a fresh, inclusive spin on the beloved 1937 film—but critics were far from enchanted. Reviews poured in, and they were not kind.
Daily Mail’s Brian Viner rated it just two stars out of five, calling the film “a pallid reimagining” and “painfully muddle-headed,” even though he acknowledged that lead actress Rachel Zegler “plainly has oodles of talent.”
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw was even more scathing, labeling the movie “a pointless, exhaustingly awful reboot” that suffered from “tiresome pseudo-progressive additions.”
And Clarisse Loughrey at The Independent slammed Disney’s corporate response to the dwarf controversy, giving the film a dismal one-star review.
A Long Road of Controversy Before Release
The Snow White remake had already stirred the pot well before it even hit theaters.
One major source of drama was the casting of Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, in a role traditionally tied to the phrase “skin as white as snow.”
Zegler tried to get ahead of the criticism by explaining that in the remake, Snow White earns her name after surviving a childhood snowstorm.
But fans weren’t exactly sold—and things only got worse when an old interview resurfaced where Zegler dismissed the original animated film as “dated.”
She later walked back her comments, assuring audiences that the love story would still play an “integral” part in the new version.
But by then, Disney fans were already wary—especially after Zegler admitted she was “scared” of the original movie as a kid and only watched it once.
A Cautionary Tale in Modern Filmmaking
Instead of being a bold new chapter in Disney’s live-action lineup, Snow White has become a symbol of how quickly a film can fall from grace when trying to check every box.
Between the casting controversies, the CGI decisions, and the changes to iconic songs and plotlines, the movie never found its footing.
And now, with public takedowns like Seth MacFarlane’s adding fuel to the fire, it’s clear that the film’s legacy will be more infamous than magical.