Mirror, mirror on the wall, what is the most talked-about movie of them all? Right now, it’s Disney’s live-action Snow White, but perhaps not for the reasons the studio hoped.
Since its March release, the reimagining of the animated classic has found itself in the middle of a social media firestorm. From the polarizing casting of Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot to the heavy use of CGI for the iconic seven dwarfs, the film has struggled to find its happily ever after with audiences.
But according to film historians and disgruntled fans on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, there was once a version of this story that could have avoided the drama entirely: the lost Rose Red movie.
Long before Zegler donned the iconic yellow skirt, Disney was reportedly developing a spin-off focused on Rose Red, Snow White’s sister from the original Grimm Brothers fairytales. While Rose Red was famously cut from the Disney version, she was the star of her own development deal back in .
The project even had major star power attached, with Oscar-winner Brie Larson once rumored for the lead role. However, the project was quietly shelved in as Disney pivoted its focus toward the main Snow White remake.
The “what if” factor is now going viral as fans dissect why Rose Red might have been the safer bet. Unlike Snow White, which carries the weight of nearly a century of nostalgia, Rose Red is a relatively “blank slate.”
“A lot of the backlash Snow White faced was about changing a story everyone knows by heart,” one industry analyst noted. Because few modern viewers are familiar with Rose Red’s specific lore, Disney would have had more creative freedom to build a new world without the “source material” police hovering over every frame.
The controversy hasn’t just been about the script. The film’s $ million box office haul—against a staggering budget of over $ million—has left experts wondering if a fresh face like Rose Red would have actually been a better financial gamble.
Even with Gal Gadot’s star power as the Evil Queen, the film faced criticism over everything from political tensions among the cast to the decision not to cast actors with dwarfism for the titular seven roles.
“Disney is definitely reevaluating its choices now,” a source close to the studio suggests. This “revaluation” may be the reason why other anticipated projects, like the live-action Tangled, have reportedly been put on pause while the studio figures out its next move.
While Rose Red could have been the savior the studio needed, it seems the project is likely tucked away in the Disney vault for good. For now, fans are left wondering if Disney will ever return to the woods, or if the “Rose” has officially lost its bloom.
Would you have preferred a Rose Red movie over the Snow White remake? Let us know in the comments!
