Everything we know so far about the West Side Story remake West Side Story (2021 film) Close this dialog window Streaming Options Something’s coming, something good, and it is gonna be great… Or at least we hope so. For over a year now speculation has raged about the prospect of a cinematic remake of beloved musical classic West Side Story. As of January 2018, the project was official — a casting call was circulating the internet looking for a new generation of Jets and Sharks. WEST SIDE STORY, Rita Moreno, 1961 Credit: Everett Collection The 1961 Robert Wise film adaptation remains hallowed ground among film lovers, having won 10 Oscars, including one for living legend Rita Moreno in her indelible turn as Anita. Based on the 1957 Broadway stage production of the same name, West Side Story has become one of the most well-known musicals of all time. The original film starred Richard Beymer as Tony (Larry Kert originated the role in the 1957 Broadway musical) and featured an all-star cast including Moreno, Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, and Russ Tamblyn. It moves Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to 1950s New York City, replacing the Montagues and Capulets with warring street gangs, the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Trouble ensues when Jets co-founder Tony falls in love with Maria, the sister of Sharks leader Bernardo. Jerome Robbins’ groundbreaking choreography remains utterly iconic, alongside the score penned by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics from Stephen Sondheim. Songs like “Maria” and “America” have become a part of the cultural fabric of our nation. In spite of all of this, another American pop culture legend, director Steven Spielberg, has decided to take on the project, infusing it with new life. Here’s everything we know about his remake so far. The production team US-ENTERTAINMENT-CHARITY-HEALTH-RESEARCH-CANCER Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images This film is Spielberg’s baby and reportedly a project he’s been yearning to tackle for years. But the list of impressive behind-the-scenes talent doesn’t stop at his name. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner will adapt the screenplay from the original 1957 Broadway script, which was written by Arthur Laurents. Kushner and Spielberg previously partnered on historical biopic Lincoln. The 1961 film made some notable changes from the 1957 Broadway play, including swapping where songs “Cool” and “Officer Krupke” fall within the story and eliminating a dream ballet. Reports have suggested Kushner will hew closer to the original Broadway script, but no official announcements about these tweaks have been made. Jerome Robbins’ choreography is one of the most recognizable features of the original musical, but it seems Spielberg’s production may reinvent it to some degree. Justin Peck, resident choreographer at the New York City Ballet and recent Tony winner for a revival of Carousel, is attached to choreograph — his strong ballet roots suggest the choreography will at least pay homage to Robbins’ iconic moves, if not recreate many of them directly. Kevin McCollum, who has won Tony Awards as the producer of In the Heights, Avenue Q, and Rent, is attached to produce alongside Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger. The project was set up at 21st Century Fox, so the recent Disney-Fox deal may change things — it’s impossible to know at this stage. Tony and Maria 2way Credit: FOX (2) Ansel Elgort was the first member of the cast to be announced last October. The Baby Driver star will be making his feature film musical theater debut as leading star-crossed lover Tony. At his performing arts high school, he was well-known for his performances as a lead in various musicals, including playing Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. Elgort will tackle some of the show’s most memorable songs, including the beloved ballad “Maria” and romantic duets, “Somewhere,” “One Hand, One Heart,” and “Tonight.” Opposite Elgort is newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria, the young Puerto Rican woman who dares to imagine a life where love defeats hate and prejudice. Zegler is only 17, and the New Jersey high schooler nabbed the role after submitting a video audition to the online casting call. She was one of 30,000 Latinx actors who submitted an audition. In her video, she performed “Tonight” and “Me Siento Hermosa.” “I am so thrilled to be playing the iconic role of Maria alongside this amazing cast,” said Zegler in a press release. “West Side Story was the first musical I encountered with a Latina lead character. As a Colombian-American, I am humbled by the opportunity to play a role that means so much to the Hispanic community.” Anita, Bernardo, and Chino 3way Credit: FOX (3) Alongside Zegler’s casting announcement came news of who would be portraying Anita, Bernardo, and Chino. Ariana DeBose (Hamilton, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical) is taking on the role of Anita, one originated by Chita Rivera onstage and immortalized by Moreno onscreen. The stage star gave fans a first glimpse of her as the fiery character on Twitter. David Alvarez (Billy Elliot: The Musical) will portray Sharks leader and Maria’s brother, Bernardo, while Josh Andrés Rivera (Hamilton national tour) is set to play Chino, a Shark and the man Bernardo prefers Maria date. “When we began this process a year ago, we announced that we would cast the roles of Maria, Anita, Bernardo, Chino, and the Sharks with Latina and Latino actors,” Spielberg said in a press release. “I’m so happy that we’ve assembled a cast that reflects the astonishing depth of talent in America’s multifaceted Hispanic community. I am in awe of the sheer force of the talent of these young performers, and I believe they’ll bring a new and electrifying energy to a magnificent musical that’s more relevant than ever.” Riff and more Ana Isabelle, Mike Faist, and Maddie Ziegler Credit: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic; Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic; Presley Ann/Getty Images Riff, Tony’s best friend and the leader of the Jets, was one of the final cast members to be announced, and while many assumed the role might go to a Hollywood name, once again Spielberg opted to stick to Broadway talent from womb to tomb. Mike Faist, who was Tony-nominated for originating the role of Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen, will portray Riff.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON — Can a beloved American musical and movie get an update — without the outdated stereotypes? Filming is expected to start this summer on the remake of the 1961 smash hit movie "West Side Story," based on the 1957 musical. The film garnered 10 Oscars — a record that still stands as the most for a movie musical.Acclaimed director Steven Spielberg and award-winning screenwriter Tony Kushner are spearheading the much-publicized new version. With its memorable songs and choreography, "West Side Story" became an instant classic when it came out on screen, with its retelling of the "Romeo and Juliet" story through the doomed love affair between a Puerto Rican young woman — played by Natalie Wood — and an Polish-American young man amid rival gangs in 1950s New York City. But it's evident that the 1961 film — with a largely non-Latino cast wearing dark makeup and speaking with an accent to seem more Hispanic — is a throwback to casting and stereotypes that wouldn't pass muster today. “The discussions we’re having (these days) about representation and brown face and blackface and how actors should be playing people of color, I think are very relevant," Frances Solá-Santiago, an arts and culture writer in New York City, said. "I saw it again a month ago and it was cringeworthy at times. Hopefully, it will do justice to what the first movie lacked in its storytelling.” Still, the original film resonated with Latinos who identified with the cultural divisions the movie showed. Bobby Sanabria and his MultiVerse Big Band perform West Side Story Reimagined in the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater. Jati Lindsay “I saw myself in West Side Story. I experienced that kind of racial profiling they portray in the film,” composer and drummer Bobby Sanabria, 61, told NBC News. The musician, whose recent Grammy-nominated "West Side Story Reimagined" takes the entire original score in a Latin jazz direction, said the movie was one of the first times he saw his experience as a Puerto Rican growing up in the New York City borough of the Bronx reflected on the screen. Six decades later, he thinks it remains an important story. “Ignorance is what prevails in the United States and West Side Story challenges that," Sanabria said. "It asks the question of how do you deal with hate and bigotry. That’s very relevant today.” Sanabria, along with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor — another native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent — participated in a forum in January at the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C., where they discussed the original film and the upcoming remake. Sotomayor captured why so many viewers — including Latinos — fell in love with the movie so many decades ago. Sotomayor said she was “captivated” by the music, in particular the song “I Feel Pretty.” “What 13-year-old girl doesn’t listen to that song and secretly in her room twirl around? It was a movie with so much impact, even at 13," she said. She described the musical's most enduring and popular song, "Maria," as what "a love song should be." In fact, one of the song's most iconic stanzas was the backdrop of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit, "Almost Like Praying," which he recorded with other high-profile musicians in October of 2017 to raise money for Puerto Rico after it was destroyed by Hurricane Maria. "There are few plays with as many songs that have entered the consciousness of the world," Sotomayor said at the Kennedy Center discussion. "I don’t think it’s just Americans who know those songs. It’s probably people around the world.” How can Spielberg make it better? Solá-Santiago said that despite her qualms about the original movie, her favorite part was seeing Rita Moreno in the film playing Anita, Maria's friend and the girlfriend of Maria's brother, Bernardo. “She was very genuine in her portrayal,” Solá-Santiago said. The only Latina in the 1961 movie, Moreno ended up winning an Oscar for her performance — the first Latina and first Puerto Rican woman to do so. In the new version, Moreno is back but in a completely different role — she will now play Doc, the shopkeeper, who was a man in the original movie. More importantly, as opposed to the original movie, the new version will have a largely Latino cast. Rachel Zegler, 17, a Colombian American, will play Maria opposite Ansel Elgort as Tony. Broadway veteran Ariana DeBose has been cast as Anita, David Alvarez will be Bernardo and Josh Andrés Rivera was cast as Chino. That has the potential to be a great showcase for Latino talent, according to Félix Sánchez, chairman and co-founder of the Washington-based National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. “What I’m excited to see is the next generation of new Latino actors who come together to tell a story of unrequited love. It’s a beautiful tribute to the arc that was started in the first West Side Story," Sanchez told NBC News. "It gives us so much to talk about, such as how to deal with bullying, how to deal with peer pressure, how to deal with gang relationships, how to deal with conflicts within the family.” To avoid a film that doesn't capture the nuances of Puerto Rican culture without the stereotypes, the producers of the new version traveled to Puerto Rico several months ago to meet with members of the artistic and cultural communities on the island. “One of the reasons we’re here, one of the reasons we’ve hired so many Puerto Rican singers and dancers and actors is so they can help guide us to represent Puerto Rico in a way that will make all of you and all of us proud,” Spielberg told an audience at the University of Puerto Rico in December. “It’s very important to us that everything be absolutely authentic, including props, signage, the language, the customs, and the slang and colloquialisms of the time.” Sanchez said that should make a difference. “They’re (Spielberg and Kushner) not starting out with assumptions,” Sánchez said.<doc-sep>Steven Spielberg’s upcoming “West Side Story” remake has announced a cast of Broadway alums — and a few TV dance stars — to fill out the ranks of the new Sharks and Jets. Mike Faist will play Riff, the leader of the Jets. Faist has already starred in the Broadway productions “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Newsies.” Puerto Rican singer and dancer Ana Isabelle will play Rosalia. Maddie Ziegler, who appeared in “Dance Moms” and in a series of Sia music videos, will play a member of the Jets. Ansel Elgort and Rita Moreno were previously announced as the two leads. Moreno will be playing Valentina, a remade version of the character of Doc, the owner of the corner store in which Tony works. And Elgort has been cast as Tony. Casting director Cindy Tolan oversaw auditions from over 30,000 performers that included open casting calls in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and San Juan. “West Side Story” will mark the feature film debut for over 50 cast members. Justin Peck will choreograph the dance numbers. “One of our largest priorities was to find a caliber of triple-threats who could bring this film to life with great proficiency,” Peck said via press statement. “’West Side Story’ has influenced generations of dancers since its inception, and I am thrilled that we have found this extraordinary group to bring our new vision for the musical to the big screen.” Following is a list of Sharks and Jets cast members: SHARKS David Aviles Morales, Yesenia Ayala, María Alejandra Castillo, Annelise Cepero, Andrei Chagas, Jeanette Delgado, Kelvin Delgado, Gaby Diaz, Yurel Echezarreta, Adriel Flete, Carlos E. Gonzalez, David Guzman, Jacob Guzman, Ana Isabelle, Melody Martí, Ilda Mason, Juliette Feliciano Ortiz, Edriz E. Rosa Pérez, Maria Alexis Rodriguez, Julius Anthony Rubio, Carlos Sánchez Falú, Sebastian Serra, Gabriela Soto, Ricky Ubeda, Tanairi Vazquez, Jamila Velazquez, Isabella Ward, Ricardo Zayas JETS Brianna Abruzzo, Kyle Allen, Kyle Coffman, Ben Cook, Harrison Coll, Kevin Csolak, Kellie Drobnick, Julian Elia, Myles Erlick, Leigh-Ann Esty, Sara Esty, Mike Faist, John Michael Fiumara, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Garett Hawe, Patrick Higgins, Sean Harrison Jones, Eloise Kropp, Lauren Leach, Jess LeProtto, Skye Mattox, Ezra Menas, Adriana Pierce, Brittany Pollack, Daniel Patrick Russell, Talia Ryder, Jonalyn Saxer, Halli Toland, Maddie Ziegler Filming for the musical remake is slated to begin in the summer of 2019.<doc-sep>As numerous Fox projects are brought under the Disney umbrella, not all of them may survive intact. Steven Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story remake is one of a number of films that had been in the works at Fox prior to the recent Disney sale. But The Hollywood Reporter reports that some of these projects "are being met with scrutiny," with Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn reportedly "questioning the apparent plan to have young characters smoking onscreen" in West Side Story. Disney has indicated it will continue releasing R-rated movies like Deadpool under the Fox banner and just not branding them as family-friendly Disney movies, so it's unclear whether this means the studio is now eying West Side Story as a traditional Disney release. If that's the case, Horn has suggested that smoking wouldn't be allowed. The Reporter quotes a previous interview the Disney chief gave in which he named Bohemian Rhapsody as a movie Disney couldn't release before the Fox purchase because it includes smoking and "there are certain things we just can't include because we'll get letters." Additional details about this apparent smoking dispute weren't available, but the good news is that West Side Story is at least moving forward. As the Reporter notes, other projects that were previously in the works at Fox but are being purged from Disney's slate weren't so lucky.<doc-sep>
Ziegler, 16, has been cast as a Jet in Steven Spielberg's upcoming remake of the famous musical Maddie Ziegler Joins the Cast of Steven Spielberg's Remake of West Side Story — as a Jet! Steven Spielberg has cast his next star for the upcoming remake of West Side Story. Maddie Ziegler will play a member of the Jets, one of the rival gangs from the 1961 musical film. While it’s unclear who she’ll play in the film, it’s likely her dance talent caught Spielberg’s eye as Ziegler, 16, rose to fame on Dance Moms and has worked extensively with Sia on her music videos. Joining the cast is Tony nominee Mike Faist who will portray Riff, the leader of the Jets, opposite Ansel Elgort who was cast as the male lead, Tony. While 17-year-old Rachel Zegler has been cast in the lead role of Maria, Ana Isabelle, a famous Puerto Rican singer and actress, will play her friend and coworker Rosalia. Rita Moreno, who won the Oscar for her performance in the 1961 film version, will return to the remake in the role of Valentina, a remade version of the character Doc, the owner of the corner store in which Tony works. Maddie Ziegler Maddie Ziegler | Credit: Presley Ann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Mike Feist Mike Feist | Credit: Walter McBride/WireImage Several other actors have been cast as part of the ensemble including David Aviles Morales, Yesenia Ayala, María Alejandra Castillo, Annelise Cepero, Andrei Chagas, Jeanette Delgado, Kelvin Delgado, Gaby Diaz, Yurel Echezarreta, Adriel Flete, Carlos E. Gonzalez, David Guzman, Jacob Guzman, Ana Isabelle, Melody Martí, Ilda Mason, Juliette Feliciano Ortiz, Edriz E. Rosa Pérez, Maria Alexis Rodriguez, Julius Anthony Rubio, Carlos Sánchez Falú, Sebastian Serra, Gabriela Soto, Ricky Ubeda, Tanairi Vazquez, Jamila Velazquez, Isabella Ward and Ricardo Zayas. As part of the Jets, Ziegler is joined by Brianna Abruzzo, Kyle Allen, Kyle Coffman, Ben Cook, Harrison Coll, Kevin Csolak, Kellie Drobnick, Julian Elia, Myles Erlick, Leigh-Ann Esty, Sara Esty, Mike Faist, John Michael Fiumara, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Garett Hawe, Patrick Higgins, Sean Harrison Jones, Eloise Kropp, Lauren Leach, Jess LeProtto, Skye Mattox, Ezra Menas, Adriana Pierce, Brittany Pollack, Daniel Patrick Russell, Talia Ryder, Jonalyn Saxer, Halli Toland. Inspired by Williams Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story famously centers on the rivalry between young street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. The 1961 film adaptation won 10 Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Moreno, Best Picture and Best Director.