Rachel Zegler broke big with Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, and she's following that up with Disney's live action Snow White. Now, she's also leaping to the Hunger Games universe, landing the lead role of Lucy Gray Baird in prequel movie The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes.
We learned a couple of weeks ago that Tom Blyth would be playing Coriolanus Snow, the man who would eventually become the cruel, calculating President Snow in the movie series based on author Suzanne Collins' books.
As the synopsis runs, "18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.
"But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake."
Francis Lawrence is back directing the new film, with the script from Michael Arndt and, more recently, Michael Lesslie. "Like everybody, I first saw Rachel Zegler in West Side Story, and like everybody, I knew I was watching a star who would command the screen for a generation," says Lawrence. "Lucy Gray is a perfect match for her as an actress: the character is bold, independent, and defiant, but also vulnerable, emotional, and loving. Rachel will make this character unforgettable."
Zegler had hinted at her casting with a cryptic tweet she has since explained...
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes will be out on 17 November next year. As for Zegler, she'll next be seen in Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, due on 21 December.