Maybe this will be her fairest role of them all.
Rachel Zegler has set her first movie since “Snow White,” which bombed at the box office upon its release last month.
According to Variety, the 23-year-old actress will play Marisa Tomei’s daughter in the comedy drama “She Gets It From Me,” directed by Julia von Heinz.
The film, based on a true story, “follows Nicky (Zegler), whose engagement celebration turns into a search for her pill-popping, ex-punk rocker birth mother, Charlotte (Tomei). Together, the two embark on an anarchic mother-and-daughter journey to reconnect.”
The synopsis reads: “YouTube is packed with tearful family reunions, but nobody films the messy aftermath.”
Producers on the project include Jen Dana for 3311 Productions, Anna Werner for Seven Elephants and Jay Reiss, who also wrote the script.
Dana said in a statement about Zegler, “Rachel always brings a brilliant depth and humanity to her roles, and we are so excited for her to continue to showcase her versatility and humor as an actress.”
Zegler rose to fame playing Maria in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of “West Side Story.” She then starred as Lucy Gray Baird in 2023’s “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”
Her latest role as the titular Disney princess in “Snow White” brought about major controversy.
In 2022, Zegler called the original cartoon film dated and “weird.” She also compared the Prince character to a “stalker,” and vowed that her remake would take “a different approach” to Snow White’s tale.
The actress also faced backlash for her attacks on Donald Trump voters and support for Palestine. Her views on the Israel-Hamas war oppose those of her “Snow White” co-star, Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen.
Last month, a Variety report claimed that Disney had to hire a “social media guru” to monitor Zegler’s online activity in the wake of her posts about Trump and Palestine.
Allegedly, “Snow White” producer Marc Platt flew from Los Angeles to New York to get Zegler to take down her Palestine post while she was appearing in “Romeo + Juliet” on Broadway, but she refused.
Sources also claimed that Gadot, 40, received death threats over her pro-Israeli views, forcing Disney to allegedly hire security for the “Wonder Woman” actress.
In the lead-up to the film’s release, Disney scaled back its premiere and had the cast do limited press. Zegler and Gadot didn’t do interviews together amidst the feud rumors.
Zegler never directly addressed the many controversies surrounding “Snow White.” Instead, she called the role the “honor of a lifetime” on “Good Morning America” on March 20.
“To get to bring [Snow White] to life in such a unique way and such a special way, it’s just a beautiful opportunity, and I’m very honored,” she said.
“Snow White” has grossed over $200 million worldwide, far less than the reported $410 million it cost to make. According to Deadline, Disney spent $270 million on the production and another $140 million on promotional expenses, residual payments and miscellaneous costs.
The film was also panned by critics and fans alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 40% critic score and a 72% audience score.
