Disney responds to Peter Dinklage's Snow White criticism

Walt Disney Co. says it is"taking a different approach" for its upcoming live-actionremake of animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,following criticism from actor Peter Dinklage.

In an interview on comedian Marc Maron's podcast WTFonMonday, Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism known asachondroplasia, said the casting of an actress of Colombian descentin thetitular role was "progressive" but called the story, based onthe 19th-century fairytale, "backward."

"Literally no offence to anything, but I was a little takenaback.... They were very proud to cast a Latina actress as SnowWhite but you're still telling the story of Snow White and theSeven Dwarfs," the Game of Thronesand Cyranoactor said.

"Take a step back and look at what you're doing there. Itmakes no sense to me....Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? Iguess I'm not loud enough."

The remake of Disney's 1937 animated film, in which sevendwarf miners take in a princess after she is exiled by herwicked stepmother, stars West Side Storyactress Rachel Zegleras Snow White and Israeli actress Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.

"To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animatedfilm, we are taking a different approach with these sevencharacters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfismcommunity," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement toindustry publication The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.

"We look forward to sharing more as the film heads intoproduction after a lengthy development period."

WATCH | West Side Story remake seeks to improve representation:

West Side Story remake seeks to improve representation

3 years ago

Duration 2:10

Steven Spielbergs remake of the 1961 movie, West Side Story, focuses on providing a more authentic treatment of its characters by casting as many Puerto Rican and Latino actors as possible while also eliminating Spanish subtitles.

When contacted for comment, a Disney representative referredReuters to the published statement.

The new Snow White movie is scheduled for release next year.