Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco: Photos of their growing romanceCelebrities
Category: BUSINESS
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Krysten Ritter, Diego Boneta on adding ‘novelist’ to career
Krysten Ritter thought she had the perfect pitch: a successful lawyer returning home to a small town scandal. A cold case disappearance. A disturbing ritual.
But it was a hard sell as a TV series, the “Jessica Jones” actor tells USA TODAY. Back at the drawing board, she pitched it as a novel instead. Her idea became “Bonfire,” a 2017 thriller blurbed even by Gillian Flynn of “Gone Girl” literary fame. Now, Ritter has added regular novelist to her accolades. Her next novel, “Retreat,” comes out next week.
Actors turning to diverse entrepreneurial ventures is nothing new – between haircare, liquor brands, travel and luxury wellness campaigns, your favorite star’s career likely extends beyond the screen.
When it comes to writing books, most actors turn to memoirs. After all, it bolsters an already impressive career built off of celebrity. But what about the growing number of actors including Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves and Ed Burns who are writing fiction instead? Actors USA TODAY spoke to said publishing novels has given them a new outlet for creativity away from the screen.
‘What took me so long?’: Longtime actors find freedom in fiction
For years, Sonya Walger – known to many as Penny from the “Lost” TV series – was scared of writing a book. She’s been an avid reader as long as she can remember. As an only child, books were her “siblings,” she tells USA TODAY. Now, her debut novel “Lion,” about a daughter’s reflection of her larger-than-life addict father and unconventional childhood, is out in the world. Her second book is on its way and she’s currently writing her third.
“I’m such a snob about good literature and I just had felt like I don’t want to write a bad book,” Walger says. “I wrote screenplays … short stories and kept journals my whole life, and I didn’t dare write a book until COVID.”
Writing screenplays didn’t scratch the same itch that writing a novel does, Walger says. With more words to spend and luxurious prose to wax, novel writing is “symphonic.” She’s particularly enjoyed describing setting in more imagination and nuance and exploring what’s left unsaid.
The biggest shift, she says, is going from days on packed sets to writing alone in her office – a beautiful writing shed in the garden she lost when her home was destroyed earlier this year in the Los Angeles wildfires. The whole process has made her realize she’s more of an introvert than she previously thought.
“Acting requires and necessitates other people. To be a novelist is to work completely alone without anyone really caring what you’re doing or when it’s done,” she says. “Nobody is tapping you on the shoulder being like, ‘Where’s that novel of yours?’”
Ritter, on the other hand, says writing “Retreat” with a co-writer has felt collaborative – a sort of “two heads are better than one, and sometimes three, four, five, six heads are better than one” approach, she says.
The quiet writing time has given the “Breaking Bad” star more time to spend with her son, an invaluable shift in her career.
“It’s this amazing way for me to do all of the things that I love – character development, storytelling,” Ritter says. “And being able to have a bit of a schedule where I can work from my office from home, versus be on set for 17 hours – as a mom, it’s a way to do it all. And I’m not suggesting that I have that conquered, but it’s really important to me to be with my son and also have creative satisfaction.”
New ideas get a fresh perspective in the pages of a book
Ritter didn’t expect to turn into a bestselling thriller writer, for her it was always “creativity first, medium second.” It’s advice she wants to impart to other writers and artists: If you believe in your story, be relentless in your pursuit of bringing it into the world.
“‘Bonfire’ turned out to be this totally outside-of-the-box approach on how to get something made,” Ritter says. “That’s where I fell in love with that medium and decided to continue in that avenue.”
Now with her second book, “Retreat” (out March 25), she’s leaning all-in to the world of publishing. The new novel, about a beautiful con artist masquerading as a wealthy socialite, is “a little bit older, sexier” with bigger twists, she says.
Actor Diego Boneta (“Luis Miguel,” “Rock of Ages”) on the other hand, is marrying books and TV with his upcoming debut “The Undoing of Alejandro Velasco.” Amazon Publishing is releasing Boneta’s novel – described as “The Talented Mr. Ripley” meets “Match Point” – in May. At the same time, Amazon MGM Studios is adapting the novel into a series with Boneta starring as the main character.
The starting idea was to write a screenplay, and it was Boneta’s sister who suggested he turn it into a book instead of a script.
“It was a massive undertaking,” Boneta says, laughing. “Few things give me more anxiety than a blank page.”
Boneta, a thriller reader, wanted to reach out to other writers for advice before he started. The best he heard? Don’t treat the project like it’s just another film or TV script. The process has been vastly different, he says, but one he would do again.
“Sometimes (in TV) you don’t even have a script, you have a pitch, you have a couple of pages. … we’ve gotten stuff greenlit from literally a three-page document,” Boneta says. “Here, it’s really practicing the patience of no, no, no, a novel is not the same as a TV show or films.”
Fiction deepens connection with fans
Part of Boneta’s goal with writing “The Undoing” was to write about a place close to his heart. The novel is set it in San Miguel de Allende, a place the Mexico City-born calls “the Florence of Mexico.” He tells USA TODAY he’s excited for his fans to get a more intimate peek into his creative mind and experience the beloved city on the page.
“We’ve seen the ‘Narcos’ stories, we’ve seen the border crossing stories and that’s part of Mexico, but that’s not entirely what Mexico has to offer culturally,” Boneta says. “We wanted to write from a place that we were close to, that we grew up going to because it’s not just the place; it’s the culture, it’s the people, it’s the family dynamics.”
Ritter says her novels are another chance to explore the “bad girls,” the unlikeable, morally questionable characters her fans know and love her for, like Jessica Jones and Chloe in “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.”
“My fans roll deep,” she says. “They know what to expect in my work, my oeuvre. It’s very on brand.”
Walger has appreciated a new kind of interaction with fans, one that has nothing to do with her onscreen roles. “Lion” is not a story for anyone who is looking for a tell-all from Penny from “Lost” and Walger says fans are meeting her there.
“Vulnerability begets vulnerability in others,” Walger says. “The response from people has felt open hearted and elicits the sort of the desire to share their stories, as I have shared mine and that’s really, really lovely. It feels like the book is doing a tiny act of service in the world it’s making other people open up.”
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].
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Watch Rachel Zegler test her Disney movie knowledgeEntertain This!
Watch Rachel Zegler test her Disney movie knowledgeEntertain This!
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Rachel Zegler builds ‘Snow White’ Legos, answers Disney trivia
Rachel Zegler on Disney films
“Snow White” star Rachel Zegler tests her Disney movie knowledge in this fun trivia game with USA TODAY
NEW YORK – When it comes to Disney trivia, Rachel Zegler is the fairest one of all.
The “Snow White” star earned her mouse ears during a recent game at the USA TODAY offices, closing out a whirlwind global tour in support of the reimagined live-action fairy tale (now in theaters). The genial actress waxed poetic about her Disney musical favorites, ranging from “Beauty and the Beast” (“I’m holding space for the lyrics of ‘Gaston’”) to “Feed the Birds” from “Mary Poppins” (“It’s truly one of the greatest songs ever written”).
Zegler, 23, also playfully faced her fears as she built a “Snow White” Lego set, which is marketed as a “jewelry box” for kids. But in the movie, it’s a small chest that the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) has reserved for Snow White’s heart.
“The intention is, ‘Let’s kill her! Let’s put her heart in there!’” Zegler says with a laugh. “For the children, it’s just a jewelry box. To me, it’s actually quite traumatizing.”
All jokes aside, Zegler has loved getting to meet young “Snow White” fans in the last couple weeks, many of whom dress up as the Disney princess (“My heart really can’t handle it”). The Golden Globe winner has made a rapid Hollywood ascent since her 2021 film debut in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” with roles in the “Hunger Games” and “Shazam!” franchises, as well as the sci-fi horror comedy “Y2K.”
After earning glowing reviews for Broadway’s “Romeo + Juliet” last fall, she will next lead a London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Evita” this summer.
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Meghan Markle shares rare photo of Princess Lilibet
Meghan Markle kicks off 2025 with Instagram return and Netflix series
Meghan Markle kicks off 2025 with a new Instagram account and her lifestyle Netflix series “With Love, Meghan.”
Straight Arrow News
Duchess Meghan is celebrating the start of spring with a cameo from her daughter Princess Lillibet.
The domestic duchess, 43, is giving fans a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at life in California with a photo on her Instagram account @meghan.
The “With Love, Meghan” star shared a sweet snap Thursday of Lilibet showing her mom strawberries in basket. Prince Archie, the duchess’ 5-year-old son with Prince Harry, appears to be making a small appearance in the photo, too.
“Cheers to the first day of spring!” she captioned the picture. The burgeoning media mogul and Prince Harry do not typically share photographs of their children’s faces.
Duchess Meghan, who is in her soft era as she anticipates As Ever, previously shared a photo with Princess Lilibet, the 3-year-old daughter she shares with Prince Harry, running on grass during the website launch of her lifestyle brand in February.
Duchess Meghan recently announced new podcast series
Her new career as a lifestyle brand businesswoman follows a return to her roots. Meghan previously ran the lifestyle blog The Tig, which she shut down in 2017 when she began dating Harry and stepping into the international spotlight alongside the royal family.
Earlier this month, the Duchess of Sussex announced a new podcast series that will premiere next month.
The first episode of “Confessions of a Female Founder” is slated for April 8 with Lemonada Media − a podcast empire also home to “Wiser Than Me,” Julia Louis Dreyfus’ popular interview series. Lemonada also distributed “Archetypes,” Meghan’s first podcast venture, which ran for eight episodes in 2022, originally on Spotify.
The show is expected to highlight conversations between Meghan, a female founder herself, and other women in business as they discuss their struggles and triumphs on the way to success.
Her Netflix show “With Love, Meghan,” which has faced mixed reviews, was originally set to debut in January but was premiered March 4 due to the Los Angeles fires. Netflix said the series will see Meghan share cooking and gardening tips, blending “practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow
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'White Lotus' star Michelle Monaghan on female friendshipCelebrities
‘White Lotus’ star Michelle Monaghan on female friendshipCelebrities
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'The Residence' star Molly Griggs uses this trick for memorizationEntertain This!
‘The Residence’ star Molly Griggs uses this trick for memorizationEntertain This!
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‘The Residence’ ending explained: Who killed A.B. Wynter?
‘The Residence’: Molly Griggs on playing a ‘snobby, rich person’
Molly Griggs, one of the stars of Netflix’s “The Residence,” chats with USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa about her role and more.
Spoiler alert: This story contains details about the ending of Netflix series “The Residence” (now streaming).
NEW YORK ― It’s always the ones you least expect.
In Netflix’s murder mystery “The Residence,” fastidious Detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) is tasked with snooping out the killer of the White House’s longtime chief usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito), who’s found dead upstairs during a state dinner at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. By the eighth and final episode, all evidence seems to point toward blustering chief adviser Harry Hollinger (Ken Marino) or aggrieved assistant usher Jasmine Haney (Susan Kelechi Watson).
But it’s Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs), the president’s cavalier social secretary, who was responsible for poisoning A.B. and bludgeoning him with a clock. A nepo baby and influencer, Lilly had grand designs of completely revamping the White House à la Jackie Kennedy. Her kooky antics could easily be passed off as comic relief, as she throws fits over everything from Harry Styles to her woo-woo wellness initiatives. But in the end, we learn that Lilly frequently clashed with A.B., who threatened to expose her shady financial dealings and callous mistreatment of her colleagues.
Lilly represents the tension between the old and new guard, flouncing into the White House with a profound disregard for tradition and a voracious desire to tear it all down.
“It’s us versus them: the staff who have been here regardless of administration, versus the people who come in with the new president,” Griggs says. “Lilly very much embodies ‘them’ because she’s the one pulling all the strings.”
Why did Lilly kill A.B. in Netflix series ‘The Residence?’
“The Residence” is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and created by Paul William Davies (“Scandal”). With roughly a dozen suspects in the mix, Davies toyed with all sorts of potential outcomes, and even considered having Lilly be the victim and A.B. the murderer. But A.B.’s decades-long service made him a more likely target.
“I liked the idea that the chief usher could engender so much hostility from so many different people,” Davies says. “That’s what you need in order to keep the list of suspects viable: a lot of different people who might’ve interacted with the victim in a way that could turn ugly.”
Lilly, meanwhile, feels right at home in our current political landscape. The entitled daughter of a casino magnate, she doesn’t believe in the ideals of equity and teamwork, nor does she feel that rules apply to her.
“She has no fear of retribution; she’s like, ‘My lawyers will fix this,’” Griggs says. “Even when Lilly is being escorted out of the room to be arrested, I don’t think she feels like she got ‘got.’ When I think about it in the context of how our country works, and the people who have power and the people who don’t, there is that sense of, ‘I’m untouchable. I can have whatever I want and no one can stop me.’”
In the finale, Detective Cupp calls all the suspects together in a room, where Lilly breaks down crying as she tries to pin the murder on housekeeper Elsyie (Julieth Restrepo) and engineer Bruce (Mel Rodriguez), claiming that she tried to help cover their tracks because she felt sorry for them. Davies says he wrote that Hail Mary after casting Griggs, knowing “she had the skills to pull off” Lilly’s heel turn from seemingly compassionate to frightfully calculating.
Aduba was equally impressed by Griggs’ subtly devious work: “I thought it was genius,” says the three-time Emmy winner (“Orange is the New Black”). “She knew what Lilly represented. She gave a master class on gaslighting and how power can be utilized to disadvantage some.” The scene, ultimately, is “a thorough example of who gets believed and how easily they are.”
Davies plants Easter eggs that Lilly’s the killer in Episode 1: In a doll’s house view of the White House, eagle-eyed viewers can catch Lilly opening the door of the Yellow Oval Room, where she attempts to stash evidence. She also has a prolonged stare-down with Cordelia when they first meet, hinting at “the beginning of a showdown really early on,” Griggs says.
Molly Griggs also stars in Broadway’s ‘John Proctor is the Villain’
“The Residence” marks a breakthrough moment for Griggs, 31, who has been a steady TV presence in Fox’s “Prodigal Son,” Apple TV+’s “Servant” and Peacock’s “Dr. Death.” (You may also remember her as Grace, Roman’s girlfriend, in Season 1 of HBO’s “Succession.”)
After making her Broadway debut in “Hello, Dolly!” in 2018, Griggs is back on the New York stage this spring in “John Proctor is the Villain,” a dark comedy starring Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things”). The story is set in the wake of the Me Too movement, following a Georgia high-school English class as they read Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.”
“It’s made by women for young women, but it’s a play for everybody,” says Griggs, who portrays concerned guidance counselor Bailey. “It can help us continue to ask questions about these murky gray areas in our lives and what behavior is acceptable.”
Coincidentally, “John Proctor” began performances March 20, the same day “The Residence” arrived on Netflix. On her next day off, Griggs plans to have a watch party at home in Brooklyn with her husband, friends and pet pitbull Izzy. (Although, “she doesn’t really understand screens. I don’t think she’ll have any recognition it’s me, like, ‘Mommy killed A.B.?’”)
For any actor, “it’s a miracle to be doing one thing in this business, so to have two things at the same time feels special,” Griggs says. “My younger self would be so geeked. I feel really calm and excited right now – but talk to me in 24 hours!”
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Will there be a Season 3 of ‘Severance’? What we know so far
‘Severance’ star Adam Scott on why viewers are hooked on the show.
“Severance” star Adam Scott talks to USA TODAY about why audiences are can’t get enough of the mind-bending show.
Spoiler alert: This story contains details from Season 2 of “Severance.”
It was a packed finale of “Severance” Season 2 and to say it was dramatic would be an understatement. Though the season didn’t end in a cliffhanger like the previous, a conscious choice by executive producer Ben Stiller, it still left viewers with plenty of questions.
The good news, however, is that the series has been renewed for another season, which means “all appears to be well at Lumon Industries,” Apple TV+ said in the renewal announcement Friday.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Stiller jointly announced the series renewal on social media, with Cook, writing “Season 3 of Severance is available upon request. Tim C.”
The Emmy Award-winning Apple TV+ show follows Mark Scout (Adam Scott) as he leads a team at Lumon Industries whose employees have undergone a severance procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives.
Season 2 of the series, which broke records as the most-watched series on Apple TV+, saw Mark and his friends learn “the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe,” according to the series description on Apple TV+.
Stiller, who directed five episodes this season, in a statement, said making “‘Severance’ has been one of the most creatively exciting experiences” he’s ever been a part of.”
“While I have no memory of this, I’m told making season three will be equally enjoyable, though any recollection of these future events will be forever and irrevocably wiped from my memory as well,” Stiller joked.
Scott, who plays the titular role of Mark Scout and also serves as executive producer, in a statement, said he “couldn’t be more excited to get back to work” with the “Severance” team, adding, “Oh hey also – not a huge deal – but if you see my innie, please don’t mention any of this to him. Thanks.”
Here’s what to know about Season 3 of “Severance,” including potential release date and cast.
Watch Severance on Apple TV+
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Will there be ‘Severance’ Season 3?
Yes. Apple TV+, on Friday, formally announced that “Severance” would be returning for Season 3. The announcement does not come as a surprise, given that the series is the top streaming series on Apple TV+.
Stiller appears to have a multiple-season endpoint in mind for the series and speaking to USA TODAY’s Gary Levin, the executive producer had said the ending (of Season 2) sets up even more questions and theories for a show already filled with them.
“Where’s it going, what is their fate, what’s going to happen in the next moment? That’s an intriguing way to end it,” Stiller said.
“Severance” has been created by Dan Erickson, who also serves as writer and executive producer on the show. Besides Stiller, Season 2 directors include Uta Bresiewitz, Sam Donovan and Jessica Lee Gagné.
When would ‘Severance’ Season 3 release?
Apple TV+, in the announcement, did not specify when Season 3 would release.
Previously, Season 1 of “Severance” premiered on Apple TV+ on Feb. 18, 2022, while Season 2 dropped after almost three years on Jan. 17. Based on this, it is likely that Season 3 will also release in the first few months of the year, either 2026 or 2027.
Stiller, during a recent appearance on “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce,” assured fans that they would not have to wait another three years for the next season to release.
While on the episode, when Travis asks Stiller if fans would have to wait another three years for the next season of “Severance,” Stiller replies: “No, the plan is not. Definitely not.”
“We got hit with the strike – there was a writer and actor strike, and it took us a little bit to regroup,” Stiller said on the podcast, explaining the long gap. “We shot for 186 days on Season 2. Editing takes a while but thank goodness the audience was there when we came back.”
Work on the next season is reportedly already underway with a writers’ room in Los Angeles, Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter in February interview (before the new season was announced), adding he “hopes not to keep audiences waiting three years this time.”
Stiller also revealed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that the “Severance” team already knows how the series will end.
“We know what the ending is, but how we’re getting there, is the creative process,” Stiller said on the show.
‘Severance’ cast
While Apple TV+, in its announcement, did not divulge any cast details, it is likely that much of the main cast would be returning for the new season.
Here’s a list of actors and their characters in Season 2 of “Severance”:
- Adam Scott as Mark Scout
- Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel
- John Tuturro as Irving Bailiff
- Britt Lower as Helly Riggs
- Zach Cherry as Dylan George
- Dichen Lachman as Gemma Scout
- Jen Tullock as Devon Scout-Hale
- Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick
- Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale
- Christopher Walken as Burt Goodman
One actor not expected to return is Sarah Bock as Miss Huang, who fans said goodbye to in the penultimate episode of the season.
How did ‘Severance’ Season 2 end?
In the final scene of “Severance” Season 2, Mark and Gemma race through those hallways toward an exit, but in a crushing turn of events, innie Mark pushes Gemma out the door, hesitates and then decides to stay behind. As Gemma pleads with him from outside the door, he turns around and spots Helly at the other end of the hall; he turns, embraces Helly and they run once more down those endless white hallways, holding hands. The season ends in a freeze frame as “The Windmills of Your Mind” plays on the soundtrack.
“We knew that was going to be the ending for a while,” Stiller says. “We sort of played with the idea of ending on Mark looking between the two, but it felt clear, after having this cliffhanger ending in Season 1, I didn’t want to do that to the audience. It always felt this was the natural way that Mark’s innie would go. And what we wanted to do in the second season was set up in (the Gemma-focused) Episode 7 enough of a reason that you would feel some heartbreak and you would feel torn, and part of the audience would be going, ‘Yeah, I’m with him; go with her,’ and part would go ‘I can’t believe he’s doing that.’
Scott approves of the decision not to torture viewers with more uncertainty. “It would be cruel and unusual to end it on something like that. I’m so glad that we ended where we did, because I love the sequence of Mark and Helly running through the hall and the music; it’s really fun.”
How to watch Season 2 of ‘Severance’
With the finale now streaming, the entire Season 2 of “Severance” is available to watch on Apple TV+ with a paid subscription.
Watch Severance on Apple TV+
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Contributing: Gary Levin, Greta Cross, Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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All the major differences from the animated movie
‘Snow White’: Rachel Zegler sings in title role of Disney film
Rachel Zegler stars as the title character and Gal Gadot is the sinister Evil Queen of Disney’s live-action musical redo “Snow White.”
Spoiler alert! We’re discussing major plot details about the ending of “Snow White” (in theaters now), Disney’s live-action reimagining of the 1937 animated movie.
Magic mirror on the wall, what is the biggest change of all?
After years of Disney adults yelling online, the new “Snow White” is finally here – and it’s among the very best of the Mouse House’s live-action remakes. The harmless and heartfelt film stars Rachel Zegler as the titular princess, while Gal Gadot takes up the scepter of the Evil Queen.
With the exceptions of “Heigh-Ho” and “Whistle While You Work,” all of the original movie’s songs have been cut and replaced by a slew of catchy musical numbers by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“Dear Evan Hansen”). Here’s what else is new and what has stayed the same:
Snow White gets a much more meaningful backstory
The original Disney film begins with a few short sentences about how Snow White was forced to work as a scullery maid for her vile stepmother, the Queen. The new movie, meanwhile, devotes ample time to Snow White’s childhood: showing how her royal parents ruled with kindness and often baked pies for the villagers. It also depicts how the wicked Queen weaseled her way into power after Snow White’s mom died, and how the princess continued to advocate for the commonfolk, despite her own dire circumstances.
Snow White still has a love interest in the remake – but he’s no prince
In the animated movie, Snow White immediately falls in love with a dashing prince, who overhears the fair maiden singing at her wishing well and begins to serenade her. But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.
Snow White and Jonathan meet at the castle when he’s caught thieving potatoes. He urges the young princess to stand up to the Queen and to follow in her father’s footsteps of being “fearless, fair, brave” and “true.” The two are later reunited in the forest, where Jonathan helps open Snow White’s eyes to the plight of ordinary people under oppressive rule.
Dopey and the other dwarfs are magical creatures after all
Despite rampant speculation about how Disney would handle the seven dwarfs, the beloved characters appear almost identical to their hand-drawn animated predecessors (albeit this time, they’re brought to life using uncanny visual effects).
But the live-action movie introduces some magical new elements for the dwarfs, who assert they have known each other for nearly 300 years. The miners’ hands mystically light up as they hunt for gems underground, and Doc (voiced by Jeremy Swift) nurses Jonathan back to health using a potpourri of minerals, after he gets shot by a crossbow while trying to save Snow White.
There’s also a touching subplot for the clumsy, muted Dopey (Andrew Barth Feldman), who’s regularly the butt of the other dwarfs’ jokes. Snow White helps give him the courage and confidence to speak, and by the end, we learn that Dopey was narrating the film all along.
Yes, Snow White is still awoken by true love’s kiss
As he does in the animated film, the Huntsman (Ansu Kabia) backs out of murdering Snow White, although instead of tricking the Queen with a pig’s heart, he merely puts an apple in a box and hopes she doesn’t notice. The Queen eventually takes matters into her own hands, disguising herself as an old hag and showing up at the dwarfs’ front door with a poisoned apple for her stepdaughter.
In this version, Snow White still takes a bite and falls into a death-like sleep. Rather than a glass coffin, the dwarfs place the princess on a stone slab adorned with flowers in the middle of the woods, keeping vigil until Jonathan shows up one day, having escaped the Queen’s dungeon. He plants “love’s first kiss” on the dozing Snow White, who awakens emboldened and ready to fight back against the Queen.
Snow White leads a kindness revolution ‒ and the Evil Queen gets a different death
After poisoning the princess, the Queen reveals that she killed Snow White’s father, who disappeared from her life with little explanation. With the dwarfs and bandits by her side, Snow White vows to reclaim her parents’ home and restore peace to her impoverished kingdom.
When she arrives at the castle gates, the Queen orders her guards to seize Snow White and kill her once and for all with a dagger. But in the nick of time, Snow White recalls her mother’s advice to always remember people’s names. And so, the princess appeals to the guards’ good graces, recounting fond memories of who the men were before they joined the Queen’s wicked regime.
Now with no one on her side, the Queen flees to her throne room, where she smashes her magic mirror and gets sucked into its enchanted vortex. It’s a much less gnarly ending than the animated movie, which climaxes with the Queen plunging to her death after attempting to crush the dwarfs with a giant boulder.
Despite so much revolting toxicity from online trolls, this live-action “Snow White” makes timely, thoughtful changes that are rarely heavy-handed. And in Zegler’s capable hands, the original Disney princess gets a happily ever after that feels beautifully earned.