There's been a lot of positive chatter surrounding Rachel Zegler's work as Maria in Steven Spielberg's retelling of West Side Story, and it's clear she's about to hit the big time. After recently landing a lead role in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the actress is now being lined up to take on the title role in Disney's upcoming live-action Snow White remake.
Deadline broke the news earlier today, and confirm that production will begin in 2022 with Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) in the director's chair.
"Rachel’s extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts. Her strength, intelligence and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale," the filmmaker said in a short statement praising the lead in a movie that the trade says will expand on the story and music from the 1938 animated classic.
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who worked on La La Land and The Greatest Showman, have been tapped to write new songs, and reimagine the classics, and it sounds like Disney is very pleased with what they've come up with thus far. Disney and Webb reportedly met with a lot of different actresses, but it was seeing early footage from West Side Story that convinced them to cast Zegler.
Clearly, Zegler is someone Hollywood is getting behind, and it will be interesting seeing how she does starring in a beloved musical, a blockbuster superhero movie, and as one of Disney's most iconic princesses.
Check out her reaction to today's Snow White news below: