Former Miss A singer joins Disney's lineup of Korean collaborators in $200m remake
Actor-singer Suzy has been tapped to perform the Korean version of "Waiting On A Wish," the main theme song for Disney's upcoming "Snow White" remake, Walt Disney Company Korea announced Monday.
A 44-second teaser video released Monday on Disney Korea's official YouTube channel shows Suzy braving a snowstorm in a red cape as she ventures into an enchanted forest setting. The song captures Snow White's (played by Rachel Zegler) determination to chart her own course against the power-hungry Queen (Gal Gadot) in the film.
The full version of the song and music video will be released in the coming weeks, ahead of the film's theatrical release in Korea March 19.
The partnership continues Disney's strategy of recruiting K-pop stars for its localized soundtrack releases. Previous collaborations include: Girls' Generation's Taeyeon for "Into the Unknown" from "Frozen 2" (2019), NewJeans' Danielle for "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid" (2023), IVE's An Yujin for "This Wish" from "Wish" (2023; released in 2024 in Korea), and TWICE's Nayeon for "Beyond" from "Moana 2" (2024).
For Suzy, the Disney gig arrives on the heels of her musical comeback. The former Miss A member recently released her digital single "Come Back" on Feb. 17, marking her first solo release in over two years following 2022's "Cape."
Since moving on from Miss A, Suzy has carved out a successful acting career with standout roles in TV dramas including "Dream High" (2011), "While You Were Sleeping" (2017), "Vagabond" (2019), and "Start-Up" (2020). She is set to appear alongside Kim Woo-bin in Netflix's upcoming fantasy romance series "All The Love You Wish For," slated for release later this year.
Meanwhile, the "Snow White" remake has faced a bumpy road to production. First announced nearly a decade ago, the project ran into multiple roadblocks, including during the height of the pandemic and 2023 Hollywood actors' strike. Director Marc Webb's $200 million production features Rachel Zegler in the title role, with music by "La La Land" composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
The production's troubles didn't end with the delays. After actor Peter Dinklage publicly criticized Disney's portrayal of the seven dwarfs, the studio switched to using CGI for the characters — a move that drew another round of controversy for eliminating potential roles for actors with dwarfism.
For some, casting Zegler— an American actress of Colombian and Polish descent — as Snow White kicked up dust across social media and online bulletin boards. In Korea, some users asked how the casting strayed from the character's previous look that shaped their childhood memories.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com
