It’s the start of her West End story.
Rachel Zegler is headed across the pond to make her West End debut in a revival of “Evita,” according to a report published on Variety Friday.
“Evita” will be directed by “Sunset Boulevard” creator Jamie Lloyd and opening night is slated for June 14 at the London Palladium.
The show follows the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón (Zegler) who is also the second wife of the Argentine president.
Zegler, 23, will follow in the footsteps of stage stars Elaine Paige and Patti LuPone. Paige, 77, originated the role on the West End in 1978 with the iconic hit “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”
LuPone, 75, meanwhile, was the first to star as Eva on Broadway in 1979.
In 1996, Madonna starred in the film adaptation opposite Antonio Banderas.
However, this won’t be the first time Zegler takes on an iconic role, as she rose to stardom in 2021 after starring in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”
The actress then headed to Broadway where she made her debut as Juliet in “Romeo + Juliet” – a modern twist on the Shakespearian classic.
Now, Zegler is gearing up for the release of Disney’s “Snow White,” in which she once again plays the female lead alongside Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.
The film, which hit theaters on March 21, has been plagued with scrutiny from the start.
It was originally leaked that Disney was axing the original roles of the dwarf characters. The studio responded by stating they were taking a “different approach” to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes” from the 1937 film.
Fans were outraged over the switch, calling Disney “politically correct” and “woke.” They also voiced their concerns that Zegler – a Latina actress – was cast as Snow White.
“Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage, who has dwarfism, didn‘t hold back his feelings either.
“Literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback [when] they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, but you’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’” the actor, 55, shared on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast in 2022.
Dinklage continued, “You’re progressive in one way but then you’re still making that f–king backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together. What the f–k are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough.”
The film giant then opted to replace the fairy tale’s seven dwarfs with CGI.
Zegler also called out the 1930s animator David Hand, labeling his work “extremely dated.”
“She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true,” she said in a clip from the Disney D23 Expo in 2022.
Her comments outraged fans.
The movie’s star didn’t stop there, as she received massive backlash after going on a social media rant against those who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
She wrote in part that “there is a “deep, deep sickness” in the United States due to how many people voted for a “man who threatens our democracy.”
Following her remarks, some of Trump’s supporters took to X to share that they would be boycotting the project.
“I hope you get no peace when this film BOMBS at the box office and streaming,” one user stated on social media.
Due to the controversy, Disney has reportedly opted for a low-key premiere over the usual media-packed red carpet.
The event on March 15 will be limited to photographers and an in-house crew, according to Variety.
Ahead of the premiere, when asked if people should watch “Snow White,” Gadot, 39, simply responded, “Of course — it’s a great movie.”