The story of Snow White is one of the most well known children’s tales in the west. Although the story was first popularised by Disney’s 1937 animated adaptation, it originally came from the Brothers Grimm collection of German folklore tales first published in 1812. Since Disney’s animated film, there have been several on-screen retellings that have each brought a new take to the story about a young woman who seeks refuge in the woods while the Queen, threatened by her beauty, tries to destroy her.
Check out the 7 best adaptations of Snow White, and find out where you can watch them all from the United Kingdom below!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the version that most often comes to mind when thinking about the classic fairytale. The film was Disney’s first ever animated feature, and was extremely well received by both audiences and critics upon release. Walt Disney was even given an honorary Oscar at the 11th Academy Awards for “a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field for the motion picture cartoon.” While Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs remains an animation classic, newer adaptations have sought to remedy the more problematic elements of the original, especially in terms of discussions around consent and giving Snow White a more three-dimensional personality and story arc.
Snow White (1987)
This 1987 direct-to-video version of Snow White is one of the best live-action productions of the tale. Although many elements of the production are fairly dated, its basic plot structure actually follows that of the original Brothers Grimm tale quite closely. The production features plenty of decent musical numbers, and Diana Rigg’s over the top campy performance as the Queen alone makes this a Snow White adaptation not to be missed.
Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997)
Snow White: A Tale of Terror may be the most outlandish adaptation on this list, leaning heavily into the horror elements of the original fairytale and adding some additional gothic pizzazz to the picture. Without a doubt, the best part of the film is Sigourney Weaver’s over the top performance as Claudia Hoffman (aka the Evil Queen), alongside Sam Neill as her husband Frederick Hoffman, and Monica Keena as Lilli Hoffman (aka Snow White).
Once Upon a Time (2011–2018)
ABC’s fantasy adventure series Once Upon a Time ran for seven seasons and takes place in the fictional town of Storybrooke, Maine, where fairytales come to life. Snow White (played by Ginnifer Goodwin) is featured in the series as one of the main characters, and while the basic premise of her story is kept, the series does a great job of weaving in new elements and giving the character more depth than many of the other iterations.
Mirror Mirror (2012)
Mirror Mirror turns the tale of Snow White into a comedy starring Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, Lilly Collins as Snow White, and Armie Hammer as the Prince. This adaptation sees Snow White take more of the initiative and try to take back the kingdom from her evil stepmother with the help of the Seven Dwarfs and the Prince. While reviews for this production were mixed, there are plenty of fun moments throughout, and seeing a feistier version of Snow White gives the character a worthwhile update.
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
In the original tale, the Huntsman is tasked by the Queen with taking Snow White into the woods and killing her, bringing back only her heart and liver. He winds up sparing her life, and she flees into the woods where she happens upon the seven dwarfs. Snow White and the Huntsman stars Kristen Stewart as Snow White and Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna (aka the Evil Queen), and gives the story a new twist in which Chris Hemsworth’s Eric the Huntsman is tasked with tracking down Snow White for the Queen, only to join forces with her against the regime.
Snow White (2025)
Following in a line of Disney live-action remakes of their most beloved classic animated films, in 2025 the studio released a new Snow White. Starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White, Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, and Andrew Burnap as Jonathan (a new version of the Prince), the 2025 live-action film follows the same trajectory as the more modern adaptations and sees Snow White join forces with the Seven Dwarfs and Jonathan to free the kingdom from the Evil Queen. This version features some catchy new songs, and tasteful updates to original classics like “Heigh-Ho” and “Whistle While You Work.”
Where to watch the best Snow White adaptations streaming online
Find out how (and where) to stream the best Snow White adaptations online by scrolling down to the list below. The series are all available to stream online across a variety of platforms in the United Kingdom, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ITVX and more!
