Rachel Zegler Removed From Her Most Anticipated Movie
Deadline reports that Rachel Zegler has been removed from the upcoming Paddington in Peru movie. Zegler, who was originally cast to star in the film this past June, has been replaced by up-and-coming actress this month. It’s worth noting, however, that Rachel Zegler wasn’t removed from the project because of any controversies, but rather backed out of the film to stand in solidarity with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
In solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strike, Rachel Zegler has pulled out of Paddington in Peru.
As the entertainment industry in the US remains at a standstill, films are still being shot in the UK because UK actors work under a different set of contracts that are governed by the local union, Equity. In other words, Equity members aren’t legally allowed to strike with the US union, meaning that the show must go on, with or without Rachel Zegler, who was originally going to be cast as Gina Cabot. Though this sudden update in the film’s personnel is disappointing, we have to give credit where it’s due, and appreciate Zegler’s efforts to hold down the front-line with other actors on this side of the pond.
Though Rachel Zegler has been recast, filming for Paddington in Peru commenced back in July as planned, so it’s likely that filming began without the West Side Story star, and the studio kept quiet about replacing her until it was announced on October 23.
Paddington in Peru, as the title suggests, will take place in Peru after Paddington and his adopted family (the Browns) decide to visit his aunt Lucy. In this new setting, the Browns will be embarking on a series of misadventures in the Amazon rainforest. Though we’re disappointed that Rachel Zegler won’t be starring in the film anymore, we’re glad to know that she’ll still be appearing in films that she already worked on before the ongoing strike commenced.
Rachel Zegler’s Future Projects
Less than a month from now, we can see Rachel Zegler appear in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which is slated for a November 17 2023 release. Zegler will also star in 2024’s Snow White, in which she plays the titular character alongside Gal Gadot, who was cast as the Evil Queen. Zegler’s voice will also be featured in 2024’s Spellbound, which is scheduled for a 2024 release on Netflix, though at the current time, we don’t know the official release date.
Sources indicate that Rachel Zegler will also star in a turn-of-the-millennium disaster comedy film called Y2K. This upcoming A24 film will co-star Alicia Silverstone, and will involve a high school party set in 1999 right before the Y2K disaster actually happens, which will be fertile ground for a solid comedy. Filming for Y2K began in April 2023, and is said to be in the post-production phases, but a release date has yet to be announced.
Paddington in Peru, as the title suggests, will take place in Peru after Paddington and his adopted family (the Browns) decide to visit his aunt Lucy.
In an ideal world, the strike would have been resolved more quickly, and we’d be able to see Rachel Zegler do her thing in Paddington in Peru. But until an agreement is made that all actors and writers can get behind, the unfortunate reality is that if a movie is produced under a different union, then US based actors will probably follow suit, and stand in solidarity with their stateside colleagues during these trying times.
