The Open Casting Call to Play Michelle Zauner in a Movie Is Underway

It's the latest development for the screen adaptation of "Crying in H Mart"

Michelle Zauner
Michelle Zauner in 2022.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Most indie rock memoirs do not become cultural phenomenons, but Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart found a vast audience upon its initial release. Call it a combination of rave reviews and Zauner’s talents going far beyond songwriting; either way, it elevated her to the rare status of artists equally comfortable working in very different realms.

Now, Crying in H Mart is getting a film adaptation directed by White Lotus alumnus Will Sharpe. As for who will be playing Zauner on screen, well – that’s where things get interesting. Zauner recently updated her Instagram with news of an open casting call for the leading role in the film. “Who will play Ms Breakfast?” reads the caption.

“ISO 18-25 year old Korean American to play the role of Michelle in the film adaptation of the #1 NYTimes Bestseller Crying in H Mart,” the post states, and asks applicants to “send a creative video introduction.”

This isn’t the only high-profile film to make use of an open casting call to find its lead. Stephen Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story used an open casting call for the role of Maria; Rachel Zegler, who was cast in the role, won a Golden Globe for her work in the film. Will the cinematic Michelle Zauner do the same?

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Few other details about the film are available as yet. Then again, considering that the lead has yet to be cast, that’s not all that surprising. One thing that does seem likely about the film, however: it’ll probably have an excellent soundtrack.

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