Although the film “Snow White”, as well as the original fairy tale on which it was based, promote the main character as being closely connected to nature, it seems that this is not the case in reality, considering that the filming of this “Disney” creation in the UK produced more greenhouse gas emissions than, for example, “Fast and Furious”, in which the majority of scenes show cars in motion.
Namely, an analysis of more than 250 Walt Disney sets reveals that the remakes of "Snow White" and "The Little Mermaid" have produced more pollution than any other film by the company shot in the UK since 2019, when environmental reporting requirements were introduced, RTS reports.
The law requires companies to disclose emissions only for film sets in the UK, so the total could be higher. “The Little Mermaid,” for example, was also filmed in Sardinia, while the makers of “The Streets of Hell” traveled to Italy and the US.
The total emissions for “Snow White” and “The Little Mermaid” are greater than the annual emissions generated by Birmingham and Luton airports.
“Snow White” generated 3.153 tonnes of carbon dioxide, while “The Little Mermaid” produced 5.127 tonnes, for a total of 8.279,6 tonnes of emissions. This compares with 7.829 tonnes of emissions for Birmingham Airport in 2023 and 2024, 6.243 tonnes for Luton in 2023 and 3.351 tonnes for East Midlands in 2023 and 2024, according to the latest figures.
The filming of “Snow White” involved extensive location shooting, which increased the need for portable generators. Fuel for these generators accounted for the majority of the energy consumption during the filming of both films, although it could have been higher. This was partially mitigated by the filmmakers’ use of battery-powered and hybrid generators.
The reports also stated that production staff rented electric vehicles and that "charter flights were used only to relocate the entire team, as they were less polluting than hundreds of commercial flights."
"Snow White" is the latest Disney film starring actress Rachel Ziegler, while the evil queen is played by Gal Gadot.
Disney is facing a potential big loss on the film, as box office returns around the world are not going according to plan. The film is reportedly on track to lose around $115 million, with total revenue of just $145 million, against a budget of around $260 million.
In addition, this film has caused numerous controversies, starting with the choice of the main actress who is originally from South America, so fans of “Snow White” accused “Disney” of “violent diversity” pointing out that according to the original story, the main character got her name because she was “white as snow”. Also, the audience is dissatisfied that for the characters of the seven dwarfs, actors of smaller stature were not hired, but special effects were used. Controversies have also arisen due to the public expression of opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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