Rachel Zegler Departs PADDINGTON IN PERU Movie

West Side Story star Rachel Zegler has departed the upcoming Paddington in Peru film.

Variety reports that Zegler is unable to continue with the film due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Ben Whishaw, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas and Olivia Colman will still appear in the film. The movie began filming in July in London, Peru and Colombia.

The Dougal Wilson-directed film will be released in theaters on on January 17, 2025. Paddington in Peru will follow the beloved bear as he visits his Aunt Lucy, who is now living at the Home for Retired Bears. The family then embarks on an unexpected journey throughout the Amazon rainforest and tall mountains of Peru.

Zegler made her film debut as Maria in 2021's West Side Story. For her performance, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, making her the first actress of Colombian descent to win in that category as well as the youngest winner in that category at 20 years old.

She then starred as Anthea in the superhero film Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).

Zegler is set to play Snow White alongside Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen in a live-action film adaptation of the 1937 animated Disney film, which is scheduled to be released in 2024. 

Zegler is also cast to voice the lead character in animated musical film Spellbound, directed by Vicky Jenson, which is also scheduled to be released in 2024. 

She plays heroine Lucy Gray Baird for the upcoming film adaptation of the Hunger Games prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Zegler is also set to appear in Kyle Mooney's directorial film debut Y2K produced by A24. 

Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas