Misty Copeland gets her first major movie role. The 33-year-old dancer who becomes the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre is expected to play the lead ballerina in Disney's new take on "Nutcracker", AceShowbiz reports.

It was Copeland herself who broke the news on her Instagram. "I'm thrilled to be a part of this amazing project with Disney and the wonderful Lasse Hallstrom #TheNutcracker #MoreToCome," she captioned a picture of "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" script.

The film will be a live-action adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman's Christmas Eve tale about a girl who finds a Nutcracker doll. At night, the Nutcracker comes to life along with an evil Mouse King. It leads the girl to the magical world of toys that will change her life forever.