West Side Story star Rachel Zegler invited to present at the Oscars following backlash

Rachel Zegler has reportedly been invited to present at the 94th Academy Awards following the social media firestorm over her non-invite.

Zegler, the star of Best Picture nominee West Side Story, is currently shooting Disney's live-action Snow White remake in London, but efforts are being made to restructure the production schedule so Zegler can attend the ceremony on March 27, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Reps for Zegler and the Academy did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment. When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Disney, the studio behind Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake, said reporting on the matter has "been completely out of hand."

"We always wanted her to be there to celebrate West Side Story, but Snow White is deep into production in London, on a tight schedule and Rachel is first on the call-sheet," the spokesperson said. "Nevertheless, this Sunday will be an important full-circle moment for West Side Story and we're glad that it might be possible for Rachel to be there to celebrate."

The spokesperson continued, "It may not be obvious to people how challenging and expensive it is to adjust production schedules, especially when trying to protect the cast and crew against a COVID spike in the UK... We have been always supportive of the film and our cast and would be excited to see her attend."

Zegler shared she wasn't invited to the 2022 Oscars on Instagram over the weekend, noting that she was "disappointed" but still "so proud" of the film. The revelation came after a fan said they couldn't wait to see her outfit at the telecast, where West Side Story received seven nominations total, including Best Director for Spielberg and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana DeBose.

"I have tried it all but it doesn't seem to be happening," Zegler wrote. "I will root for West Side Story from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago. I hope some last minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate with our film in person but hey, that's how it goes sometimes. I'm disappointed, too. But that's okay. So proud of our movie."

As EW previously noted, the studios behind nominated films determine ticket allotments for nominees.

After fans rallied around Zegler on Sunday, the actress — who won a Golden Globe earlier this year for her role as Maria — thanked everyone for their support on Twitter, adding, "Let's all just respect the process."

This article has been updated to with Disney's statement.

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