‘Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs’ comes to Disney+ in 4K restoration
In a dazzling tribute to its century-long legacy, The Walt Disney Company is set to release the 4K restoration of the beloved 1937 classic, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” exclusively on Disney+ beginning Oct. 16. This enchanting revival marks a significant milestone in the company’s storied history as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.
The meticulous restoration of this animated masterpiece was achieved through the collaborative efforts of the Walt Disney Studios Restoration and Preservation team, in close collaboration with key artists from Walt Disney Animation Studios. This talented team had previously joined forces for the acclaimed restoration of another Disney classic, “Cinderella,” released in 1950.
Renowned Disney Animation artists, Michael Giaimo, known for his work as a production designer on “Frozen” and “Frozen 2,” as well as the upcoming animated musical adventure “Wish,” and animator/director Eric Goldberg, who serves as the head of hand-drawn animation for Disney Animation’s newest short, “Once Upon A Studio,” and is celebrated for his work on “Pocahontas” and “Fantasia/2000,” reunited with their colleagues at Walt Disney Studios for this project.
“The opportunity to help restore Snow White was both an honor and a challenge,” Goldberg said in a Disney news release. “As the very first Walt Disney feature, Mike Giaimo and I felt we owed a debt to history to get it looking as beautiful and as accurate to the original colors as we could. The muted palette and the delicate watercolor backgrounds evoke the illustrated fairy tales that Walt so loved, and the story and characters continue to resonate to this day. I hope our work inspires future generations of animation artists to fully appreciate the masterful talent and care that has gone into this landmark film.”
Kevin Schaeffer, director of Restoration for Walt Disney Studios, added, “We are incredibly excited to go back to Walt’s original negative and use current state of the art technology to restore this stunning classic to its original beauty.”
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” holds a special place in the annals of animation history, being the inaugural full-length cel animated feature in the history of motion pictures. The film received special recognition from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in the form of a unique honorary Oscar – one large Oscar accompanied by seven smaller ones – which was presented to Walt Disney by none other than the iconic Shirley Temple. This cinematic gem also holds the distinction of being the highest-ranked animated feature on the American Film Institute’s “100 Years…100 Movies” list and was inducted into the National Film Registry during the registry’s inaugural year in 1989.
As the “fairest of them all” graces screens once again, fans can anticipate reliving the timeless magic of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in all its 4K-restored glory, a fitting tribute to the enduring legacy of The Walt Disney Company on its 100th anniversary.
