Everything We Know About the 'West Side Story' Remake
On the 60th anniversary of the 1961 movie-musical, L'OFFICIEL reflects on the original and gets all the details on Steven Spielberg's upcoming re-make.
Expected to hit theatre's on December 10 after a year’s delay, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the beloved West Side Story movie-musical is highly anticipated and hot under the spotlight.
Featuring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as leading love-interests Tony and Maria, respectively, the film is packed with musically talented actors and actresses responsible for recreating a contemporary Romeo and Juliet storyline set in New York City. The movie will have big shoes to fill as the 1961 film starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer was the highest-grossing movie the year of its release and was critically praised with 11 Oscar nominations and 10 wins, including Best Picture.
The new star-studded cast not only includes Dance Moms alum Maddie Ziegler and Hamilton’s Ariana DeBose, but sees Oscar-winner Rita Moreno who played Anita in the original film return in a brand new way.
In hopes of perfecting his modern adaption of the movie-musical, Spielberg recruited Pulitzer Prize-winning screenplay writer Tony Kushner and New York City Ballet choreographer Justin Peck.
Zegler, who will star in Disney's live-action Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, hopes her role empowers young girls everywhere. Speaking on the film she said, "It's a beautiful display of Latin joy and the way young Latin girls deserve to see themselves-dancing around in pretty dresses and singing about loving themselves."
