Steven Spielberg throws Rachel Zegler, a high school student, into West Side Story

Steven Spielberg played Maria, a 17-year-old stranger, in her next remake of West Side Story.

Rachel Zegler, a 17-year-old New Jersey High School student, won the role after Spielberg received 30,000 applications.

She will play Maria against Ansel Elgort, who will play Tony, according to Variety.

Ariana DeBose (Anita), David Alvarez (Bernardo) and Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino) complete the cast.

The veteran singer Rita Moreno will perform Valentina, a developed version of the character Doc, the owner of the store where Tony works. Moreno won an Oscar for playing Anita in the 1961 film and is executive producer of Spielberg's remake.

The casting team reportedly called Maria and received 30,000 responses. Zegler has submitted a video of herself singing Tonight and Me Siento Hermosa (I Feel Pretty).

"When I played Maria on stage a few summers ago, I could never have imagined that I would take over the role in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story," wrote Zegler on Instagram.

"As a growing American-Colombian woman today, important roles such as Maria are so important, to be able to realize this role – a role that matters so much to the Hispanic community – is so humiliating"

Zegler has an active YouTube channel on which she shares her own covers of popular songs, including a version of Shallow, from A Star is Born.

Zegler also previously shared an excerpt of herself singing Shallow on Twitter, which became viral in December.