"I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Lea Michelle, she seems like an obvious choice to me."
Except that the role of Eliza is a legit soprano while Lea is a belter. No way Lea could properly produce the final note of "I Could Have Danced All Night".
The actress playing Eliza has to be an excellent actress. She has to go from the rough cockney flower girl to the refined lady. It's not an easy acting job. Nothing that Lea has done shows this depth of acting ability.
I'm so afraid they would seriously consider Anne Hathaway. Yikes!! And of course Julie Andrews would be brought out to make a big publicity push and say things like "Oh, I knew deep in my heart when we were filming that Anne would one day play Eliza. I pass the torch to her."
The only thing I ask is that when they cast Eliza, please don't cast a shrieky soprano.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.