It Looks Like Rachel Zegler Is Going To The Oscars ... As A Presenter
Less than 48 hours after it became public knowledge that "West Side Story" ingénue Rachel Zegler was not invited to the Academy Awards, the 20-year-old star of the Best Picture nominee will now be attending the ceremony as a presenter.
What started off as a casual reply to a comment on Instagram about how she wasn't going to be attending turned into a trending topic on Twitter and the source of outrage. The Academy was immediately called under fire, despite the fact studios are given a select number of tickets, and it was actually up to Disney to determine whether or not Zegler was going to leave the London set of the live-action remake of "Snow White" to attend the ceremony. While it was not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to remedy the situation, they offered Zegler the opportunity to present an award and ensure a place at the year's biggest celebration of cinema.
Zegler addressed the building situation on Twitter on Sunday night.
my goodness, folks!! appreciate all the support, i really really do. we live in such unprecedented times, and a lot of work behind the scenes goes into making movie magic happen. that goes for film productions (like the one I am so lucky to be currently shooting in london) and awards shows alike. let's all just respect the process and i'll get off my phone.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is now rearranging the shooting schedule of "Snow White" to allow Zegler to fulfill the presenter offer.
The situation was more complicated than a lack of invitation
Had Zegler been nominated for an individual award, had "West Side Story" been the clear front runner for Best Picture, and had she not been on set for "Snow White," this would be an entirely different story. However, when Entertainment Weekly reached out, a spokesperson for Disney called the situation "completely out of hand." As they tell it, the lack of invitation was not a slight against Zegler, but an issue of production scheduling. "'Snow White' is deep into production in London, on a tight schedule, and Rachel is first on the call-sheet," the spokesperson said. "Nevertheless, this Sunday will be an important full-circle moment for 'West Side Story' and we're glad that it might be possible for Rachel to be there to celebrate."
Former A.V. Club writer Myles McNutt wrote an impassioned analysis of the situation, noting that "In the absence of full details, the false discourse has continued unabated, framing this as a fundamental injustice instead of what it really is: a bleak reminder of Disney's corporate overbearance [sic] and how it swallows all in its wake, as evidenced by how Zegler's involvement in that film she's lucky to be shooting in London is keeping her from cheering on her co-star's Oscar win on Sunday."
No word yet on what Zegler will be presenting or who she will present with, but I've got my fingers crossed for Tony Hawk.