Despite being dubbed a box office bomb, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story was so critically acclaimed that it managed to nab seven Oscar nominations. A lot of people are excited to see how the movie will fare during the ceremonies, but you know who won’t be coming to the show? The film’s main star.
As it turns out, newcomer Rachel Zegler hasn’t been invited to the Oscars. She revealed this to one of her fans on her IG (via @solacecinema):
Rachel Zegler reveals she was not invited to the #Oscars despite starring in Best Picture-nominee ‘West Side Story.’
The film has 7 nominations and its lead was not invited. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/jL5MuaEosH
— Cinema Solace (@solacecinema) March 20, 2022
Her comments have incited outrage on social media, and a lot of fans are wondering who is to blame. While some are saying it’s the Academy’s fault, some are also pointing fingers at Disney—a company that was recently caught under fire thanks to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
If anything, Zegler is very thankful to all the fans who came out to show their support. We don’t know if she’ll eventually come to the Oscars, but I’m sure there is some PR team that is currently scrambling to find out what to say about Zegler’s non-invitation.
my goodness, folks!! appreciate all the support, i really really do. we live in such unprecedented times, and a lot of work behind the scenes goes into making movie magic happen. that goes for film productions (like the one I am so lucky to be currently shooting in london)…
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) March 20, 2022
West Side Story has proven to have a very unique reputation with pop culture right now. Besides its main actress being snubbed by the Oscars, Zegler’s co-star Ansel Elgort has also been the topic of heavy scrutiny thanks to some underage chat messages. We don’t know how the film will do overall at the Academy Awards, but hopefully Zegler gets to come to the event.
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is now available to watch on Disney+ and HBO Max.
