Snow White and the Seven Dwarfshas long been considered one of the original Disney classics, and deservingly so. Released in 1937, the film was historic for the studio andgroundbreaking for animation as a whole. Adapted from the Grimm’s fairytale, the film follows the young Snow White,voiced byAdriana Caselotti, who flees her stepmother, the Evil Queen (Lucille La Verne), and takes refuge with a group of dwarfs in the woods. With charm, whimsy, and complete with a “happily ever after,“the picture set the tone for Disney’s infamous line of films to follow.It’s no surprise thatSnow Whiteremains beloved more than 80 years after its release, but unlike most successful films today,Snow Whitenever got the sequel treatment. Though the discussion did come up,Walt Disneywasn’t a fan of making sequels. He instead decided to forge ahead, changing his focus to telling more magical stories, though the idea of continuingSnow White’stale did not disappear completely.
ThoughSnow Whitenever got one, Disney’s no-sequels policy eventually changed anda slew of direct-to-video sequelswere made, many of which followed long-standing classics. The concept of a newSnow Whitestory resurfaced and nearly happened, though this time it was a prequel that was pitched.Animated Viewschronicles howthe doomed project was to focus not on the raven-haired princess herself, but on her beloved friends, the dwarfs.Attached to direct,Mike Disadescribed his never-made film,Dwarfs,as an exploration of the dwarfs' society and culture, envisioning it as aLord of the Rings-esque story. This is especially ironic consideringJ. R. R. Tolkienfamously disliked Disney’sSnow White’sportrayal of the dwarfs. And while this origin story would have been an interesting installment for Disney, the prequel would have undoubtedly struggled to live up to the charm and whimsy of the dwarfs in the original film.
The ‘Snow White’ Prequel Was Meant to be Different
Dwarfswas actually never intended for theaters. In the early 2000s, DisneyToons, (a division of Walt Disney Animation Studios that focused largely on direct-to-video releases) wanted to explore the company’s famous side characters.This idea succeeded in the Disney Fairy franchise that centered onTinker Bell fromPeter Pan.In addition to the fairies, and due to young girls' immense adoration for the beloved Tink, DisneyToons hoped to recreate a similar phenomenon to appeal to all demographics. Because of the immense popularity ofSnow Whiteand the fact that it came with several pre-existing characters, DisneyToons settled on the dwarfs. They made this decision hoping that the funny woodland characters might appeal to young boys, just as much as Tinker Bell charmed scores of little girls.
With the help of DisneyToon’s staff writer,Evan Spiliotopoulos, Disa developeda story that would be something unique while still connected to the classic film.With a specific list of questions from the original to seek answers for, the duo set out to connect the two seamlessly, without copying Disney’s classic.UnlikeSnow White, the prequel would not be a musicaloutside of some “ancestral-dwarven” music. Disa and Spiliotopoulos handledDwarfswith care, with Disa explaining, “The idea was to add all these layers and complexities to the world, so we could tell stories in it, but also be absolutely respectful to the source material.” Their reverence ofSnow Whitewould have undoubtedly benefited the film had it been made, but in reality, it was partially the reason the prequel never happened.
What Would the ‘Snow White’ Prequel Have Been About?
The idea forDwarfswas to answer specific unexplained elements from the original princess film. Disa and Spiliotopoulos' list included answering questions such as why the dwarfs live alone in the woods, why they seem to know the Witch, why the Witch seems afraid to confront the dwarfs as well as the origins of the Magic Mirror that serves the Evil Queen.The story was going to begin with Grumpy and Dopey in a village filled with dwarfs, establishing a separate society, and not unlike the Hobbits' home, the Shire. However, these two specific dwarfs would be sent off on a quest, where they would slowly and inevitably cross paths with Doc, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, and Bashful.
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During the story, they were to also become friends with and take in a young woman, Narcissa, similar to Snow White. Though Narcissa shows a troubling dark side, the dwarfs hold out belief in her (a grand mistake, as she eventuallybecomes the Evil Queen). With time, the dwarfs learn Narcissa and her villainous father are using them to exploit ancient dwarven magic.But Narcissa surprisingly betrays her father, trapping him in the Magic Mirror.But this is not her striking redemption, as she was to immediately turn the ancient magic on the dwarfs. Dopey sacrifices himself for his friends, but fortunately survives.The seven dwarfs escape her, but rather than endangering their home, they leave to be mysterious dwellers in the woods.In the end, Narcissa kills Snow White’s father, the King, which would put everyone in a position to lead right into the original film.
What Happened to the ‘Snow White’ Prequel?
At one point,Dwarfswas progressing so well that even more sequels were discussed, much like theTinker Bellfilm that was made with the same intention.Yet as fate would have it,Dwarfswas interrupted byDisney’s purchase of Pixar in 2006.Pixar’s creative director,John Lasseter, was given control over all of the company’s animated movies, andhis noted dislike for the direct-to-video releasesmeant a change was inevitable. Several of DisneyToon’s projects were canceled while others survived, and surprisingly, work onDwarfswas allowed to continue.
However, one executive, whose identity has not been confirmed, suggested that Dopey speak in the prequel. Part of the character’s charm inSnow Whiteis that he shows off his personality without uttering a word, and Disa wanted to keep that consistent inDwarfs.However, inShow White,Dopey was simplya side character, and the new leadership had little faith in a lead character who couldn’t talk (though Disney has successfully made characters that fit the description, likeWall-EandDumbo). It’s not entirely surprising as Tinker Bell never spoke inPeter Panbut does so in the Disney Fairies franchise. The idea was thatthe prequel could explain his eventual muteness by including some sort of event that stops Dopey from talking.
In true Disney-trope fashion, the plan was that he may watch his mother die, leading to his trauma. But Disa refused to believe that Dopey could remain the comedic character the film needed with that kind of tragic backstory. Disa was upset with what the studio now wantedDwarfsto be, and expressed how, with Dopey’s added backstory, the tale just doesn’t tonally make sense anymore. With the execs set on this idea,Disa left the production, and, without his passion,Dwarfssoon lost momentum,becoming the theoretical prequel that never happened. Though the story was fascinating,Dwarfswas a clear tonal shift fromSnow Whiteand may have struggled to capture what made the characters so great in the original film (especially if audiences had to watch Dopey undergo a life-altering trauma). All this considered, perhaps it’s for the best that the film was never completed, and our beloved Dwarfs are living canonically trauma-free, forever in the forest.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfsis streaming on Disney+ in the U.S.
