Rumor: Rachel Zegler Recast For Upcoming Third ‘Paddington’ Film
John F. Trent
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A new rumor claims that Rachel Zegler has been recast in the upcoming Paddington film believed to be titled Paddington in Peru.
Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close
This new rumor comes from scooper Daniel RPK who writes on X, “Paddington 3 wraps filming in two weeks and Rachel Zegler was recast due to strikes.”
RPK_NEWS1 on X
Zegler was announced to be part of the film back in June with Variety reporting, “Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Rachel Zegler and Emily Mortimer are in talks to join the cast of Paddington in Peru, the third opus of the beloved bear’s adventures.”
The actress was expected to play a character named Gina who is the daughter of Banderas’ Hunter Cabot described by the outlet as “a dashing and intrepid riverboat captain.”
The film is expected to see Paddington journey to Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy and embark on a journey through the Amazon rainforest and to the top of the Andes Mountains with the Brown family.
Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington in Paddington (2014), Studio Canal
No details on why Zegler was recast or who replaced her have been announced.
Zegler has been in the news throughout the summer for comments she made about Snow White at last year’s D23 Expo. Specifically, she’s been criticized for describing the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animated film as dated, disparaging the Prince as a stalker, and taking issue with the film’s love story. Not only that, but she’s revealed the upcoming live-action film is changing the definition of fair, appears to remove the entire moral lesson on vanity, and will instead be some kind of story about Snow White’s inner struggle and her desire to be a good leader.
Rachel Zegler as Maria in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY, directed by Steven Spielberg. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
She revealed to Extra TV her thoughts about the Prince, “The original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. Weird. So we didn’t do that this time.”
When asked if the prince would even be in the film, Zegler answered, “We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because like we cast a guy in the movie, Andrew Burnap, great dude.”
She continued, “It’s one of those things that I think everyone’s going to have their assumptions about what it’s actually going to be, but it’s really not about the love story at all, which is really, really wonderful. And whether or not she finds love along the way is anybody’s guess until 2024. All of Andrew’s scenes could get. Who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby!”
Zegler then revealed what the film is really about, “It’s an inner journey that she goes on to find her true self. And she meets a lot of people along the way that make the journey really incredible.”
Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close
She made similar comments to Variety when asked why she described the movie as having a “modern edge.” She said, “I just mean it’s no longer 1937, and we absolutely wrote a Snow White–”
Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen in the upcoming live-action adaptation, interjected, “–She’s not gonna be saved by the prince.”
Zegler then affirmed, “She’s not gonna be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.”
Zegler elaborated, “She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be. The leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, brave, and true.”
“And so it’s just a really incredible story for, I think, young people everywhere to see themselves in,” she concluded.
Rachel Zegler as Maria and Ariana Debose as Anita in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY. Photo by Niko Tavernise. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Zegler also revealed that the film is also changing the definition of “fair” for the film. The original animated film made it clear the term referred to beauty and was providing a lesson vanity.
This will no longer be the definition for Zegler’s live-action movie.
She explained, “The reality is that the cartoon was made 85 years ago and therefore it’s extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power and what a woman is fit for in the world. And so when we came to reimagining the actual role of Snow White it became about the fairest of them all meaning who is the most just. And who can become a fantastic leader.”
Zegler continued, “And the reality is, you know, Snow White has to learn a lot of lessons about coming into her own power before she can come into power over a kingdom.”
Gadot added, “Also the fact that she’s not going to be saved by The Prince and she’s the proactive one and she’s the one who set the terms is what makes it so relevant to where we are today.”
Rachel Zegler as Maria in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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Not only has Zegler been criticized for her comments about Snow White and the upcoming film, but she’s also been criticized for her tone deafness surrounding the SAG-AFTRA strike and her demands for residuals.
In what appears to be an Instagram Story post from July, she said, “I have residual checks that would shock you. And I’ve only made two movies.”
Zegler next appears in the upcoming film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as Lucy Gray Baird.
The movie arrives in theaters on November 17th.
Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close
What do you make of this rumor that Zegler has been recast in Paddington in Peru?
NEXT: Initial Costs For Rachel Zegler’s ‘Snow White’ Film Are Already Shockingly High
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