20th Century Studios has released a new featurette showcasing Director Steven Spielberg sharing his personal background with and hope for his new film, West Side Story, due out in theaters next month.
What’s Happening:
- 20th Century Studios has released a new featurette sharing more behind-the-scenes info about the upcoming West Side Story from Director Steven Spielberg.
- In the featurette, Director Steven Spielberg explains his personal history with the original West Side Story musical, sharing that he knew even as a kid, if he were to ever become a director, West Side Story would have to be among his projects.
- Spielberg even elaborates that the division between the Sharks and the Jets became even more relevant, as in the five years that his film was in production, the country and the world have become even more divided.
- Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Tony Kushner, West Side Story tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City.
- This reimagining of the beloved musical stars:
- Ansel Elgort (Tony)
- Rachel Zegler (María)
- Ariana DeBose (Anita)
- David Alvarez (Bernardo)
- Mike Faist (Riff)
- Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino)
- Ana Isabelle (Rosalía)
- Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank)
- Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke)
- Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works).
- Moreno – one of only three artists to be honored with Academy, Emmy, GRAMMY, Tony, and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.
- Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Kushner, who also serves as an executive producer; Tony Award winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and GRAMMY Award winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award-nominated composer and conductor David Newman (Anastasia), who arranged the score; Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Thoroughly Modern Millie), who supervised the cast on vocals; and Grammy-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan (Beauty and the Beast, Chicago), who served as executive music producer for the film. The film is produced by Spielberg, Academy Award-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and Tony Award-winning producer Kevin McCollum.
- West Side Story has been adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway show, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins.
- From 20th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company will release West Side Story in U.S. theaters on December 10, 2021.