Rachel Zegler won't have to cheer on West Side Story from her couch after all.
Zegler, who plays Maria in West Side Story, recently revealed she wasn't invited to Sunday's Academy Awards, despite being one of the leads of a movie nominated for Best Picture. But now, The Hollywood Reporter says the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited Zegler to come as a presenter.
News that Zegler hadn't been invited to the Oscars prompted backlash and questions as to how someone with such a prominent role in a movie with seven nominations could be forced to watch the show on TV. Though criticism was directed at the Academy, Variety pointed out the blame likely fell more on Disney, as the Academy gives each film studio a certain number of tickets to the Oscars that are then distributed.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It still wasn't clear why Zegler hadn't received one, though there was speculation Disney may not have wanted her to travel to the awards show because she's currently shooting the live-action Snow White in London. "To fly her back to Los Angeles might jeopardize Snow White, something Disney isn't keen on," The Wrap reported, noting the set could have to shut down if she were to get sick with COVID-19.
But the Reporter now says that "efforts are being undertaken to rearrange the film's shooting schedule to enable Zegler to be at the Oscars." The report didn't make clear whether Zegler has accepted the invitation.
On Instagram, Zegler previously suggested she attempted to get an invite but was unsuccessful, writing, "I have tried it all but it doesn't seem to be happening." After the backlash against the Academy and Disney, Zegler said she appreciated "all the support" while noting she was "currently shooting in London," appearing to imply this was a factor.
"Let's all just respect the process," she wrote, "and I'll get off my phone."
-
September 14 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-warTalking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
A tour of Sri Lanka’s beautiful northThe Week Recommends ‘Less frenetic’ than the south, this region is full of beautiful wildlife, historical sites and resorts
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
