Lots of exciting news is coming in from Hollywood about new cast announcements. Gal Gadot has been roped in to play Evil Queen in Disney’s live-action Snow White opposite Rachel Zeglar, Daniel Dae Kim will play Fire Lord Ozai in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sofia Boutella to headline Zack Snyder’s Netflix movie Rebel Moon and Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will star in adaptation of the hit musical Wicked. Read on for more details:
Gal Gadot to play Evil Queen in live-action Snow White
Gal Gadot, who's famous for portraying Wonder Woman on the big screen, is reported to be in final negotiations to portray the Evil Queen in Disney's upcoming live-action adaptation of the ageless fairytale Snow White, a source close to the project confirmed to 'Variety'. Gadot will star opposite West Side Story breakout star Rachel Zegler, who was cast as Snow While in June. Incidentally, the Brothers Grimm fairytale was Disney's first animated feature in 1937.
Reporting the news, 'Variety' said: "Since Gadot is primarily known for her heroic work in DC's 'Wonder Woman' franchise, her turn as the Evil Queen will give the actor a chance to show a more wicked side to her oeuvre." The Evil Queen attempts to trick Snow White into eating a poisoned apple after becoming jealous of her beauty. She delivers the famous line, which has become among the most quoted words in the English language, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"
Marc Webb, best known for helming The Amazing Spider-Man films starring Andrew Garfield and 500 Days of Summer, is set to direct the untitled adaptation.
Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo to star in 'Wicked' musical
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will portray Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in a big-screen adaptation of the Tony-winning musical helmed by director Jon M. Chu. He has been attached to the project since February, and casting rumours for the film's two main roles have been swirling for months. The stars announced their castings in respective Instagram posts on Thursday evening, reports variety.com.
"Dear Cynthia, honoured doesn't even begin to cover it. I cannot wait to hug you. See you in Oz," Grande wrote in a message to Erivo, sent with a pink and green floral arrangement (the signature colors of Glinda and Elphaba).
"Both stars are true multi-hyphenates, with Grammy-winning pop star Grande getting her start on Broadway in the musical 13 and acting in shows like Victorious and Adam McKay's upcoming film Don't Look Up."
"Erivo, on the other hand, is near EGOT status , having received a Tony, Grammy and daytime Emmy award for her role as Celie in the 2015-2017 revival of The Color Purple."
A prequel to The Wizard of Oz, Wicked tells the story of everything leading up to Dorothy's arrival in Oz. In its original Broadway run, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth portrayed frenemies Elphaba, who would become the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good Witch.
With Broadway theaters reopening after a long pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wicked film adaptation has been a long time coming, and was most recently stalled by Stephen Daldry's departure as director last October due to scheduling conflicts.
Stephen Schwartz, who penned the music and lyrics to the Broadway show, is adapting the screenplay with Winnie Holzman. Marc Platt, who produced the Broadway musical, is set to also produce the film.
Daniel Dae Kim to Star in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Netflix Live-Action Series
Daniel Dae Kim is joining the cast of Netflix’s live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The series is described as a reimagined take on Nickelodean’s popular animated franchise. Kim will play the role of Fire Lord Ozai, the ruthlessly driven leader of the Fire Nation who demands everyone especially his teen son, Prince Zuko live up to his impossible standards. His desire to conquer and unite the world under firebender rule becomes a family burden as he believes his destiny to finish the war started by his ancestors. Other stars who feature in the series includes Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka and Dallas Liu as Zuko.
Sofia Boutella to headline Zack Snyder’s Netflix movie ‘Rebel Moon’
Sofia Boutella will play the lead in filmmaker Zack Snyder’s next feature film Rebel Moon. Snyder is once again collaborating with Netflix for the new film. He has also penned the screenplay with writer Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad, based on a story by Snyder and Johnstad. The official logline of the film reads, “When a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, they dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand.”
(Source: IANS/Hollywood Reporter/Variety/PTI/Deadline)
