Gal Gadot may be known for being the superheroic Wonder Woman, but she’s turning an entirely new leaf for her next role. Deadline reported in November that Gadot was cast as the Evil Queen in the upcoming live-action adaption of Snow White. Before this news, it was reported that Rachel Zegler would be playing the titular role in Disney’s remake.
According to Deadline, Gadot is in final negotiations to play the iconic villain. The publication reported that studio executives always had their eyes on the Justice League actor for the role. They also reported that Gadot was said to be interested in joining the likes of Angelina and Cate Blanchett, both of whom have portrayed famous Disney villains (Maleficent and the evil stepmother in Cinderella, respectively). Since she was interested in becoming the Evil Queen, all parties were able to close on a deal this week.
The live-action Snow White adaptation will star Zegler as the titular princess. She was cast after a “long and thorough” search from studio execs. The film is set to be directed by Marc Webb and produced by Marc Platt. They will reportedly begin production on the movie sometime in 2022. Although, an exact start date for production has yet to be revealed. It was reported in June that Zegler would be taking on the role of Snow White. She voiced her excitement over the opportunity on social media, writing, “I HAVE MANIFESTED MY ENTIRE LIFE I THINK I THINK.” Zegler also shared a video of herself meeting Snow White, which she captioned with, “homegirl we have LOTS to catch up on.”
The young actor will be making her feature film debut in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake, which premieres in December. She will star as Maria, a role made famous by Natalie Wood in the 1961 film. At the time that Zegler’s casting as Snow White was first announced, Webb released a statement in which he shared, “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.” This Snow White adaptation isn’t the only one in the works at Disney. The company is also working on live-action adaptations of The Little Mermaid and Pinocchio. Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel, with Melissa McCarthy (Ursula) and Daveed Diggs (Sebastian) rounding out the ensemble.
