Up-and-coming actress Rachel Zegler is set to star in Disney’s live-action remake of the classic animated fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
It’s the second lead role for Zegler, 20, who stars as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming “West Side Story.”
Following a string of Disney live-action remakes — including this year’s Emma Stone-starring “Cruella,” 2020’s “Mulan” and 2019’s “The Lion King” — Disney plans to expand the timeless story of an orphaned princess who falls ill after eating a poisonous apple.
Zegler’s “West Side Story” performance apparently impressed casting directors and Disney studio executives, sealing the deal.
“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 fairy tale,” director Marc Webb said in a statement to Deadline.
Sticking with a musical approach to the story, “Snow White” will feature new tracks with a modern twist. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the music for “Dear Evan Hansen” and “La La Land,” are set to compose for the film. It’s not certain whether timeless songs from the 1937 animated film — including “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “Heigh-Ho” — will be part of the remake.
Zegler got her start in Hollywood after auditioning at a 2018 open casting call for “West Side Story,” which will premiere in theaters Dec. 10. She was also recently cast in DC’s superhero sequel “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.”
Erin Cressida Wilson (“The Girl on the Train”) will write the princess screenplay, and production is expected to begin sometime next year.
