Putting a horror twist on popular children’s story characters who are in the public domain has become a popular trend these days. Multiple Mickey Mouse horror films are making their way out into the world since the earliest Mickey cartoons are now public domain, filmmakers are working on horror versions of Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, and a whole cinematic universe is being built out of horror movies based on the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Peter Pan, and others. Another project in this line-up of films designed to tarnish the reputation of childhood favorites is The 7 Dwarves, which puts a terrifying twist on the story of Snow White and is scheduled for release in March of 2025.

Promising a spine-chilling ride that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats, The 7 Dwarves has the following synopsis: In The 7 Dwarves, Snow White narrowly escapes the clutches of the evil witch, only to find herself lost in the eerie depths of the dark forest. But her nightmare is far from over. She soon becomes the prey of a sadistic group of dwarves (Cranky, Jolly, Drowsy, Meek, Snuffy, Wheezy, Chief, and Ditzy). Far from being her protectors, these sadistic dwarves hunt her relentlessly, forcing Snow White to fight for survival. As she outwits and eliminates each dwarf one by one, the tension rises to a blood-soaked climax in this spine-chilling horror reimagining.

Colin Patrick Ryan is directing the film from a script by producer Chris Hoyt and executive producer Galen Christy. A press release notes, “Combining suspense, horror, and a reimagined take on a familiar tale, The 7 Dwarves promises to captivate horror fans and fairytale enthusiasts alike.” Christy adds, “We’re thrilled to bring audiences a bold, new vision of Snow White like they’ve never seen before. By turning this beloved tale into a nightmarish survival story, fans of the original will be captivated by the unexpected twists and turns that horror lovers will be talking about for years to come!“

The real horror for me is how lazy, formulaic, and pandering this slop sounds like already. debord-tired

Snow White getting a horror gimmick isn’t even new.

  • Feinsteins_Ghost [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    2 months ago

    It’s the newest crop of up and coming whatever’s to put their spin or whatever on the franchise.

    Because they will be the ones to get it right. Or whatever. There is no original IP anymore. Ever.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      2 months ago

      “It’s now public domain, time to cover it in blood and shit” is such a failure of imagination. I’d like to see new versions of old IPs but seems that’s all that tends to get done with them once The Mouse is forced to release them.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      2 months ago

      Absolutely, yes, they can be quite grim (har har Grimm pun get it) but it sort of blends together here with all the other public domain horror slop treatments for me.

  • Enjoyer_of_Games [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    2 months ago

    I dislike this line of criticism because it is so easily used by proponents of copyright.

    See when things go in the public domain no-one uses them to create any new culturally valuable works anyways it just gets abused to make bottom of the barrel slop.

    The real problem ofc is that the extreme duration of copyright means that nothing can built upon while it still has any cultural relevance. Old Disney films get made into horror schlock because a distortion of something considered an institution of family friendliness works for that genre. No-one can make an adaption that plays it straight without the result feeling incredibly outdated, not even Disney’s own remakes have managed to avoid this.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      2 months ago

      I want to see more done with public domain than horror slop. I invite it, encourage it, maybe even find myself yearning for it especially when it’s something that’s been under The Mouse for so long that it is in need of new takes and new perspectives, not just “smear it with blood and shit for a quick buck.”

      No-one can make an adaption that plays it straight without the result feeling incredibly outdated, not even Disney’s own remakes have managed to avoid this.

      Last I checked, those dull live action remakes are still profitable, so there should be a possibility of something done with public domain work that isn’t just horror slop.

      • Enjoyer_of_Games [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        2 months ago

        They are profitable with the incredible market power of Disney behind them. Would you as an independent film maker bet the farm on an adaption of 70 year old disney film? There is a possibility but you’d have to have a premise with a damn good angle on it to have a chance and I don’t begrudge the industry for not taking that swing yet.