Disney Has Found Its Live-Action Snow White Star
West Side Story's Rachel Zegler has landed the role
Meet the newest Disney princess, Rachel Zegler.
The West Side Story star has been cast in the titular role of the upcoming live-action remake of Snow White, Deadline reported. The announcement comes after a months-long casting search. Her audition was impressive to begin with, sources told Deadline, but early footage of her as Maria in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story remake, due out later this year, helped her nail the role.
"Rachel's extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts," director Marc Webb told the outlet. "Her strength, intelligence and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale."
While we await further casting news, we've gathered what we know about this new version of Snow White.
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The remake will expand on the original.
The upcoming film will arrive more than 84 years after Disney first premiered Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937—the studio's first fully animated feature. Per Deadline, it will expand on the original story and music, with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman) composing new songs for the adaptation.
According to insiders, the reason why Disney is taking its time with this remake is because it wants to get the music right—and the studio seems to be happy with what Pasek and Paul have delivered so far.
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There's no release date just yet.
But production will begin in 2022, Deadline reported. Marc Platt (La La Land, Cruella) is producing, while Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man, 500 Days of Summer) will direct.
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US.
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