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‘Snow White’s Rachel Zegler Reportedly Eyed for New Disney Franchise

In March 2025, The Walt Disney Company is set to release its live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Featuring Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Snow White and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as the Evil Queen, this ambitious retelling by director Marc Webb has faced an uphill battle since production began.

Snow White (Rachel Zegler) singing "Waiting On A Wish"
Credit: Disney

With its budget reportedly close to $300 million, Disney’s Snow White has a lot riding on its success. At first glance, the film might seem like an easy win, revisiting Disney’s very first animated feature after nearly nine decades. But is the magic still there?

Written by Greta Gerwig (Barbie) and Erin Cressida Wilson (The Girl on the Train), Snow White has been a magnet for controversy. From Zegler’s initial casting to her remarks on the 1937 original, public reaction has been mixed at best. The release of early promotional material only added fuel to the fire, leaving some to question whether the movie is already too far gone to recover.

Rachel Zegler as Snow White
Credit: Disney

Even Disney’s handling of the film has raised eyebrows. In its recent quarterly earnings call, the studio omitted Snow White from its highlighted 2025 releases. Instead, projects like Captain America: Brave New World, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the live-action Lilo & Stitch were given the spotlight. The stark contrast in promotional strategies, especially when comparing Lilo & Stitch to Snow White, is hard to ignore.

Interestingly, Disney isn’t the only studio revisiting Snow White’s tale this year. Conservative outlet The Daily Wire announced its adaptation, Snow White and the Evil Queen, starring Brett Cooper. However, Cooper’s recent exit from the project has left its future uncertain.

Snow White dancing with the seven dwarfs
Credit: Disney

Meanwhile, despite the criticism surrounding Zegler—including backlash over her resurfaced D23 comments about the 1937 classic—a new report suggests her collaboration with Disney might extend beyond Snow White to a fresh, unexpected venture.

In September 2024, Deadline revealed that Disney+ is developing a reimagined adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s “The Phantom of the Opera.”

“EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ is in early development on Phantom, a YA movie reimagination of the classic novel “The Phantom of the Opera” by Gaston Leroux, sources tell Deadline,” the outlet wrote. “The project hails from Disney Branded Entertainment and Kenny Ortega, who has led two major Disney franchises with High School Musical and The Descendants.”

Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum) and the Phantom (Gerard Butler) in 'The Phantom of the Opera'
Credit: Warner Bros.

Rumored to have franchise potential similar to The Descendants, details remain limited. However, a new report indicates that a familiar face might be considered for the lead role of Christine.

Comic Book Movie writes, “According to scooper [My Time To Shine Hello], Rachel Zegler (Snow White, West Side Story, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) is being eyed to play Christine, the object of the titular Opera Ghost’s obsession.”

Given Zegler’s background in musical films—including her breakout in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021), her turn as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023), and the upcoming Snow White—she seems well-suited for the role.

What are your thoughts on this potential casting? Let us know in the comments below!

Thomas Hitchen

When he’s not thinking about the Magic Kingdom, Thomas is usually reading a book, becoming desperately obsessed with fictional characters, or baking something delicious (his favorite is chocolate cake -- to bake and to eat). He's a dreamer and grew up on Mulan saving the world, Jim Hawkins soaring through the stars, and Padmé Amidala fighting a Nexu. At the Parks, he loves to ride Everest, stroll down Main Street with an overstuffed pin lanyard around his neck, and eat as many Mickey-shaped ice creams as possible. His favorite character is Han Solo (yes, he did shoot first), and his… More »

12 Comments

  1. That they would put her in anything else is astounding. Unbelievable. They deserve every failure that she brings.

    1. I honestly highly doubt that, but if disney did they are going to learn quickly how a lot of people do not like.

  2. I would give it a chance. It looks an interesting take on the classic fairy tale.
    I’m one of those people that likes seeing new faces on the screen. This girl seems like a good actress and has a very good singing voice.
    She does need to stay out of politics if she doesn’t want to segregate her audience!

  3. Anything that she is in I will never watch, she thinks she is all that and to me her acting is just so so and her attitude is a big negative

  4. A franchise?? This is gonna be jammed so far back into the Disney vault that the rats won’t even be able to find it.

  5. If Rachel Zegler is in it, I will not spend money on it. Disney screwed up first, by casting her, second by not coaching this brat what she can and cannot say in public about their projects, and three, not firing her and replacing her 2 years ago after she disrespected Walt’s original masterpiece which happens to be the reason we still have a Walt Disney Company.

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