Disney keeps moving full steam ahead on its quest to make live-action adaptations of all of its beloved animated films. The Robert Zemeckis-directed Pinocchio and Halle Bailey-starring Little Mermaid are currently underway. But for its next live-action foray, Disney plans to revisit its very first animated feature film. And now they have their star. Rachel Zegler, whose debut West Side Story finally arrives in December 2021, will play Snow White in the upcoming Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
While we haven’t seen her work on the big screen just yet, Zegler is now working on three highly-anticipated projects, as she’ll also appear in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Production will begin in early 2022, which means we’ll be learning a lot more in the coming months—including the supporting cast. Luckily, we finally know our evil Queen. Deadline is reporting that Gal Gadot is trading in the Lasso of Truth for a wicked crown. Yep, the actress is reportedly finalizing a deal to play the Evil Queen opposite Zegler.
While this is the first live-action Snow White for Disney, the Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale, is not a stranger to the big screen. 2012 marked an especially big year for the tale with a pair of adaptations. Mirror, Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman bowed two months of one another. The latter also featured a sequel centered on Chris Hemsworth’s huntsman and Charlize Theron’s Evil Queen.
Marc Webb landed the director’s seat for the film, with Marc Platt producing. But the other big kicker here is the music from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The duo crafted music for the show-stopping hits in The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen, among many others. Deadline, which first reported Zegler’s casting, indicated the film’s slow production is due to Disney’s concern over getting the music right.
Disney first announced the live-action film back in 2016. Which, at this point feels like several lifetimes ago. However, per Deadline, Disney is very, very pleased with Pasek and Paul’s work thus far.
Originally published on June 22, 2021.
