Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story Remake Coming to Cinemas

West Side Story, a musical remake by Steven Spielberg, is coming to the cinemas on Friday the 10^th of December 2021; the film stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as the lead roles. In the original 1961 West Side Story musical film, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, the lead cast consisted of Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story was initially created for the stage in 1957 by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents. The story is a tale of two “lovers caught between warring street gangs from different ethnic backgrounds – the Jets and the Sharks.”

When the Broadway musical was an instant hit, the film adaptation followed quickly after, four years later; it went on to win ten Academy Awards and is one of the most celebrated movie musicals of all time. Now, director Steven Spielberg has taken the remake of West Side Story into his hands scheduled for release tomorrow, on the 10^th of December.

Watch the trailer below for the 2021 version of West Side Story:

Watch the trailer below for the 1961 version of West Side Story:

The cast for West Side Story 2021 is as follows:

Ansel Elgort as Tony

Rachel Zegler as María

Ariana DeBose as Anita

David Alvarez as Bernardo

Mike Faist as Riff

Rita Moreno as Valentina

Brian d’Arcy James as Officer Krupke

Corey Stoll as Lieutenant Schrank

Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino

Iris Menas as Anybodys

Mike Iveson as Glad Hand

Jamila Velazquez as Meche

Annelise Cepero as Provi

Yassmin Alers as Lluvia

Jamie Harris as Rory

Curtiss Cook as Abe

The cast for West Side Story 1961 is as follows:

Richard Beymer as Tony

Natalie Wood as Maria

Rita Moreno as Anita

George Chakiris as Bernardo

Russ Tamblyn as Riff

Ned Glass as Doc

William Bramley as Police Sergeant Krupke

Simon Oakland as Police Lieutenant Schrank

Jose De Vega as Chino

Susan Oakes as Anybodys

John Astin as Glad Hand

Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the 1961 version of West Side Story and the Academy-Award winning actress returns to the 2021 version in the role of Valentina, an expanded version of the character of Doc written specifically for her. She also serves as an executive producer on the film.

Just last week, Stephen Sondheim, the legendary musical theatre pioneer who wrote the lyrics for the original West Side Story, passed away. Director Steven Spielberg paid tribute to him with a recent statement: “Stephen Sondheim was a gigantic figure in American culture – one of our country’s greatest songwriters, a lyricist and composer of real genius, and a creator of some of the most glorious musical dramas ever written. Steve and I became friends only recently, but we became good friends and I was surprised to discover that he knew more about movies than almost anyone I’d ever met.”

Based on the trailer, the 2021 West Side Story looks every bit as cinematic and exciting as the original West Side Story is known to be, there is however one question in everyone’s mind, have they changed the lyrics to some songs that may be considered racist? We can only wait to find out tomorrow when the film is out, so go and watch the musical and see if it is just as good if not better than the 1961 West Side Story.