Credit: Inside the MagicThe original Disney Princess, Snow White, has been discovered.
Snow White is arguably the most iconic element of the entire Walt Disney Company. The character was central to the very first animated feature-length film of all time, directed by Walt Disney, which set the template for the dozens of animated and live-action films that would follow for the decades after. Snow White is the original Disney Princess that set the mold for Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, the Little Mermaid, and all the rest.
Although the character originated in an 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm (originally titled “Little Snow-White”), she has been indelibly associated with Disney since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), perhaps the most famous animated movie in cinema history.
Even after nearly a century, Snow White is a tentpole property for the company and branded across countless pieces of merchandise. She also remains one of the most beloved Disney Princesses and an enormously popular character at Walt Disney World and Disneyland (although not an unproblematic one, it seems).
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It is not surprising, then, that it is a pretty big deal when an original copy of The Complete Story of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, an 80-page hardcover tie-in book from 1937, is suddenly discovered, complete with an actual inscription, from the filmmaker himself.
Tsunami Books, a used bookstore in Eugene, Oregon, has verified via PSA/DNA Authentication Services that a copy of The Complete Story of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs brought to it by a customer contains the actual signature of the company founder himself. A DNA element has been added to the book to verify its uniqueness. The inscription found in the book reads (per KEZI), “To Janet, Some more best wishes. Walt Disney.”
The Snow White book is estimated to be valued at more than $3,000, which the customer plans on splitting with the Eugene bookstore. Scott Landfield, general manager of Tsunami Books, says, “Walt Disney coined the phrase for Disneyland the Happiest place on earth…Yesterday, Tsunami Books was the happiest place on Earth. I felt like I’d been kissed, like I was Dopey kissed on the forehead by Snow White.”
This unearthed piece of Disney memorabilia is a reminder of just how important the character is the the company’s imagery, that the princess can excite fans even now. The upcoming live-action remake of the movie is one of Disney’s most anticipated and controversial projects, which says a lot about the lasting cultural legacy of Snow White.
The upcoming Snow White (2025) remake will star Rachel Zegler as the title character, supported by Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman, and Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, a new character created for the film. The movie will be directed by Marc Webb (best known for the Andrew Garfield Amazing Spider-Man films) from a screenplay written by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson.
Related: Rachel Zegler Replaces Failing ‘Snow White’ Role With New Character
Although one might think that producing a remake of the original Disney film would be a no-brainer, Disney has hit numerous snags over Snow White. Like most of Hollywood, the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes delayed the film for months. The casting of a Latina actress outraged conservative Disney fans who argued that the fictional character should only be depicted by a white performer.
Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage called out the film for casting non-dwarf actors for the seven awards, who were also criticized over rumors that the “woke” company had cast people of color and female actors for the characters.
But, one way or another, Snow White will be released in March 2025. It just goes to show that Disney fans will get excited about the character, whether she’s in a film, a theme park, or even an autographed book.
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