Rachel Zegler will play Snow White in a live action remake of the classic tale.
Rachel Zegler
The 18-year-old singer-and-actress will take on the lead role of Disney's new reimagining of the beloved story, with '(500) Days of Summer' filmmaker on board to direct.
Mark said of Rachel: "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 fairy tale."
Meanwhile, the 'West Side Story' actress hailed her casting as a "dream come true".
Alongside a screenshot of the casting announcement, she wrote on Instagram: "Well… hello to a dream come true.[apple and star emojis]"
And she excitedly tweeted: "I HAVE MANIFESTED MY ENTIRE LIFE I THINK I THINK.(sic)"
Rachel also shared footage of herself meeting Snow White on a trip to Disneyland.
She captioned one picture on her Instagram Story: "This news is pleasing to me and my homegirl."
And on another, she joked: "we got lots of catching up 2 do (sic)"
The movie will expand on the story and music from the original film with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul - who wrote tracks for 'La La Land', 'The Greatest Showman' and 'Dear Evan Hansen' - penning new songs for the project.
Production on the movie - which has been in development since 2016 - is expected to begin in 2022.
The original 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' - which was based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale - was Disney's first animated feature film and was first released in 1938.
Rachel will make her movie debut in 'West Side Story' this December. The film was pushed back by a year after production was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.