The next Rachel Zegler career chapter is officially underway with a new movie — but it’s arriving under far different circumstances than the ones that once positioned her as Hollywood’s next breakout star.
According to a new industry report, Zegler is set to lead the comedy-drama She Gets It From Me, marking her first major feature project following Disney’s live-action Snow White. The film, which also stars Ed Helms, Marisa Tomei, and Nat Wolff, is scheduled to begin production later this month.
On paper, the project looks like a grounded, character-driven story about family and adoption — a tonal pivot away from the large-scale franchise roles that previously defined Zegler’s ascent (and, let’s be real…descent).
Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Snow White (2025), Walt Disney Studios
But within industry circles, the move is already being viewed as something else entirely: A rebrand.
And perhaps even more telling — a recalibration.
From Breakout Hopeful To Career Course Correction
Zegler’s arrival in Hollywood initially carried significant momentum.
Her debut in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story positioned her as a fresh face with awards-season attention and studio backing. While critics praised her performance, the film struggled commercially — crashing at the box office despite its prestige pedigree. It made $76 million worldwide on a $100 million budget.
Rachel Zegler as Maria in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
That disconnect between critical reception and audience turnout would quietly become a pattern.
Rachel Zegler next appeared in the movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods, a major DC sequel meant to offer blockbuster exposure. Instead, the film became one of the more notable superhero disappointments of its release window, falling short financially and failing to generate sustained audience enthusiasm. It made $134 million worldwide on a $125 million production budget (remember, studios only receive 50% of box office totals).
While Zegler was part of an ensemble rather than the lead, the association with another underperforming tentpole didn’t help build the perception of bankability studios look for in rising stars.
The Hunger Games Asterisk
Her role in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is often cited by defenders as proof of box office viability. It made $347–$349 million worldwide on a $100 million budget
But context matters.
Honor Gillies as Barb Azure, Konstantin Taffet as Clerk Carmine and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close
While the film did turn a profit, it stands as the lowest-grossing installment in the Hunger Games franchise — a noticeable drop from the Jennifer Lawrence-led era that defined the series’ peak popularity.
In franchise terms, it represented contraction rather than expansion.
For an actress being positioned as a generational lead, that distinction carries weight in boardroom conversations — even if it’s rarely acknowledged in public press cycles.
Smaller Projects, Smaller Impact
Zegler’s résumé also includes the genre film Y2K, a project that arrived with little fanfare and left with even less cultural footprint, making an abysmal $4.48 million at the global box office.
Rachel Zegler via Variety YouTube
No breakout box office performance. No viral audience response. No defining moment that shifted her trajectory back upward.
Instead, it reinforced the perception of an actress still searching for a project that could translate industry support into widespread audience enthusiasm.
The Snow White Shadow
And then there’s the project that changed the conversation entirely: Disney’s Snow White.
Originally positioned as Zegler’s star-making role — the kind of live-action princess casting that historically cements global recognition — the film became mired in controversy long before release.
A series of interviews and public comments about the original animated classic generated significant backlash online, fueling audience frustration and cultural debate around the remake’s direction. Zegler became the focal point of that discourse.
Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Snow White (2025), Walt Disney Studios
On top of that, a series of divisive political social media postings and outbursts made her a lightning rod of controversy.
The result was a marketing cycle defined less by excitement and more by division — a dynamic no studio wants attached to a tentpole release. The box office results spoke for themselves, with $205.7 million on a massive budget that exceeded $300 million thanks to a number of costly reshoots.
For Disney, the situation complicated promotional messaging. For Zegler, it altered public perception.
And in Hollywood, perception often becomes reality when casting decisions are made.
Enter The Comedy Pivot
Which brings us to the next Rahcel Zegler movie, She Gets It From Me.
The film’s premise — centered on an adopted daughter reconnecting with her birth mother — leans heavily into emotional storytelling with comedic undertones.
It’s intimate, character-driven, and very low-stakes compared to franchise spectacle.
Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler present together at the Oscars – X, @priceoreason
That kind of role shift is common when an actor’s blockbuster trajectory stalls. Studios often test range and relatability in smaller productions before recommitting to large-scale investments.
In that sense, the project functions as both opportunity and audition. It’s a chance to reset audience perception. An audition for long-term viability.
The Industry Question Nobody Wants To Ask
Which leads to the unavoidable question hovering over this rebrand: Does Rachel Zegler still have a future as a bankable Hollywood lead?
It’s not a question of talent. It’s more a question of marketability and trajectory.
Studios track three things above all else:
- Box office performance
- Audience connection
- Controversy risk
Rachel Zegler singing the original song “Waiting on a Wish” from Disney’s Snow White live action remake – YouTube, Disney
Right now, Zegler’s career includes:
- Critically praised performances
- Multiple franchise affiliations
- Several financial disappointments
- A highly publicized PR backlash cycle
That combination doesn’t close doors outright — but it does make studios cautious.
And caution changes casting math fast.
Reinvention Or Retrenchment?
Hollywood has always been a town built on reinvention.
Actors rebound, public perception shifts, and careers recover with the right project at the right time. But reinvention only works if audiences are willing to meet the actor halfway.
She Gets It From Me now carries that burden — not just as a film, but as a litmus test. If it resonates, Zegler’s pivot narrative begins. If it fades quietly, the questions surrounding her long-term star power will only grow louder.
Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Disney’s live-action SNOW WHITE. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
But given the PR backlash against Zegler started from her making a series of supposed “jokes” about the original Snow White, her future in comedy might be less than promising.
How do you think Rachel Zegler will do in this comedy movie? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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Like Mark Ruffalo and Simu Liu, I will never watch a movie that she is in.