Colombian-American actor Rachel Zegler has been cast to play Snow White in the Disney live-action adaptation of the classic fairytale. Zegler, 20, is ready to make her debut as Maria in the West Side Story remake directed by Steven Spielberg.
After the casting, Zegler tweeted, “I HAVE MANIFESTED MY ENTIRE LIFE I THINK I THINK.”
In a statement to Agence France-Presse, Marc Webb, the director of the untitled 'Snow White' adaptation, said, "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."
Marc Webb made his directorial debut with 500 Days of Summer and went on the direct films like the Spider-Man reboot titled The Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel.
The move to hire Zegler as the princess, who has historically been portrayed white, is seemingly a part of Disney's steps towards inclusivity. Disney has often been criticised for racist imagery in their older films. In similar moves, R&B singer Halle Bailey was cast to play Ariel in The Little Mermaid live-action.
Singer Camila Cabello, a Cuban-American, was also cast in and as Cinderella. It also stars Billy Porter as Fab G, a gender-free fairy godparent. Cinderella is scheduled to release on Amazon Prime Video in September 2021.