“West Side Story” and “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” actress Rachel Zegler is rumored to be out of the third “Paddington” film.
According to scooper Daniel Richtman (via Coming Soon), Zegler’s role has either been dropped or recast – theorised to be due to her unavailability due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
Zegler was cast in “Paddington in Peru” back in June, joining a packed cast of British and European actors, including new to the franchise Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, and Emily Mortimer, who aren’t a part of SAG-AFTRA.
Filming on the project began on July 24th without Zegler according to Screen Daily and it was believed Zegler would join the production once the SAG-AFTRA strike ended.
However the strike has dragged on for over two months and whilst negotiations are set to take place next week that could potentially see it end within the next few weeks, “Paddington 3” is reportedly set to wrap filming in two weeks.
For now, the report is unconfirmed and Zegler’s name is still listed on the cast list on The IMDb.
Dougal Wilson helms “Paddington in Peru” which is written by Mark Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamout, with a story by Paul King, Simon Farnaby, and Burton.
In the film the bear returns home to South America. Accompanied by the Brown Family, Paddington has to cross through the rainforest and mountains in order to visit his beloved aunt, who is now staying in a retirement home for bears.
Also back are Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown, Madeleine Harris as Judy Brown, Samuel Joslin as Jonathan Brown, Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird, Jim Broadbent as Samuel Gruber, Ben Wishaw as the voice of Paddington, and Imelda Staunton as the voice of Aunt Lucy.
Source: Daniel Richtman (via Coming Soon)
