Rachel Zegler, the 20-year-old actress of Best Picture candidate "West Side Story," has been invited to the Academy Awards as a presenter less than 48 hours after it became public knowledge that she was not invited to the celebration.
It all began with an Instagram remark explaining why she wouldn't be attending, but it quickly became a hot button subject on Twitter and sparked fury. Although studios are allotted a limited number of tickets, Disney had to decide whether or not Zegler would leave the London set of the live-action adaptation of "Snow White" to attend the event. The academy was instantly called into question. Because of Zegler's plight, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited him to give an award and secure his spot at the annual film festival.
On Sunday night, Zegler took to Twitter to discuss the situation in the building.
Folks, what a sight this is! I really appreciate all of your encouragement. Making a movie is a lot of labor, especially in these times when everything is so unusual. That holds true for both film projects (such as the one I am fortunate enough to be filming in London right now) and award ceremonies. Please respect the process, and I'll get off my phone.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is already adjusting the production schedule for "Snow White" in order to enable Zegler to fulfill the presenting offer she was given earlier.
The situation was more complicated than a lack of invitation
What if Zegler had been nominated for a Best Actress award, and if "Westside Story" had been the obvious front runner for Best Picture, and if she had not been in the Disney film "Snow White"? Disney's spokesman told Entertainment Weekly that the incident was "far out of hand" when they contacted them. According to their version of events, Zegler's invitation was not a snub, but rather a scheduling problem. According to a spokesperson, "Snow White" is now filming in London on a tight schedule, and Rachel is at the top of the call list. " We're pleased, though, that Rachel may be able to join us on Sunday for what will be an important full-circle moment for 'West Side Story.'"
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-success. "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 overbearing [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-success." star's
There's no indication on what or with whom Zegler will present, but I'm crossing my fingers that it's Tony Hawk.
According to a report from Slash Film, there's a good chance Rachel Zegler will be a presenter at the Academy Awards.