Steven Spielberg is directing and co-producing West Side Story, a romantic musical drama film with a script by Tony Kushner. The film is the second feature-length version of Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim’s 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which is partly based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. With Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Josh Andrés Rivera, Corey Stoll, and Brian d’Arcy James, it stars Rachel Zegler (in her feature film debut) and Ansel Elgort. Rita Moreno, who starred in the 1961 picture, also serves as an executive producer and has a supporting part. Justin Peck is responsible for the choreography.
The film was first developed by 20th Century Fox in 2014, and by 2017, Kushner was writing the screenplay. Spielberg was hired in January 2018, and casting began in September. Filming began in July of this year and ended two months later. There were shootings in both New York and New Jersey.
After being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 20th Century Studios is set to release West Side Story in the United States on December 10, 2021.
West Side Story (2021) Synopsis
Despite their affiliations with opposing street gangs, the Jets and Sharks, Tony and Mara fall in love in 1950s New York City.
Movie Info
| Directed by | Steven Spielberg |
| Screenplay by | Tony Kushner |
| Based on | · West Side Story by Arthur Laurents Leonard Bernstein Stephen Sondheim |
| Produced by | · Steven Spielberg
· Kristie Macosko Krieger · Kevin McCollum |
| Cinematography | Janusz Kamiński |
| Edited by | · Sarah Broshar
· Michael Kahn |
| Music by | Leonard Bernstein (original score) David Newman (score adaptation) Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) |
| Production companies |
· Amblin Entertainment |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Studios |
| Release date | · December 10, 2021 (United States) |
| Country
Filming locations |
United States
Paterson, New Jersey, USA |
| Language
Genres |
English, Spanish
Crime, Drama, Romance, Musical |
| Budget | $100 million |
Cast
- Rachel Zegler as María Vasquez
- Ansel Elgort as Tony
- Ariana DeBose as Anita
- David Alvarez as Bernardo Vasquez
- Mike Faist as Riff
- Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino
- Corey Stoll as Police Lieutenant Schrank
- Brian d’Arcy James as Police Sergeant Krupke
- Rita Moreno as Valentina
- Ana Isabelle as Rosalia
- Curtiss Cook as Abe
- Kevin Csolak as Diesel
- Ezra Menas as Anybodys
- Ben Cook as Mouthpiece
- Sean Harrison Jones as Action
- Patrick Higgins as Baby John
- Paloma Garcia-Lee as Graziella
- Maddie Ziegler as Velma
- Julius Anthony Rubio as Quique
- Ricardo Zayas as Chago
- Sebastian Serra as Braulio
- Carlos Sánchez Falú as Pipo
Production
Steven Spielberg originally showed interest in directing a West Side Story adaptation in March 2014. This motivated 20th Century Fox to purchase the project’s rights. Tony Kushner, who previously worked with Spielberg on Munich in 2005 and Lincoln in 2012, revealed in a July 2017 interview that he was writing the screenplay for the film, stating that he would keep the musical numbers intact and that the story would be more like the original stage musical than the 1961 film in a July 2017 interview. Spielberg told Vanity Fair in a 2020 interview: “Our family permitted West Side Story to be the first piece of popular music we ever let into the house. As a child, I was absolutely enamored with it.”
Filming
In July 2019, filming took place in Harlem and other Manhattan locales, as well as Flatlands, Brooklyn, in New York City. In August 2019, 10 days of shooting took place in Paterson, New Jersey, when an outdoor set was constructed. Newark and other sections of Essex County, New Jersey were also used for filming. It was shot for 79 days and finished on September 27, 2019.
Music
For the film, composer David Newman reworked and modified Bernstein’s original score. During the film’s recording sessions, Gustavo Dudamel conducted the New York Philharmonic, with voice coach Jeanine Tesori. Hollywood Records will release the soundtrack CD.
Release
20th Century Studios originally planned to release West Side Story in the United States on December 18, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020, parent corporation Disney postponed the release date to December 10, 2021, which will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the original 1961 film’s premiere. The film will have a 45-day limited theatrical release.
Marketing
DeBose delivered the film’s teaser trailer during the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony on April 25, 2021, and Moreno subsequently presented the Academy Award for Best Picture, honoring the 1961 film’s premiere and award victories. The official trailer for the film debuted on ABC’s Good Morning America on September 15, 2021.
Is there a new West Side Story movie coming out?
Yes, in December of 2021, West Side Story will be released.
Where was West Side Story filmed 2021?
There were shootings in both New York and New Jersey. After being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 20th Century Studios is set to release West Side Story in the United States on December 10, 2021.
West Side Story Release Dates
| France | 8 December 2021 | |
| South Korea | 8 December 2021 | |
| Portugal | 8 December 2021 | |
| Argentina | 9 December 2021 | |
| Australia | 9 December 2021 | |
| Germany | 9 December 2021 | |
| Hungary | 9 December 2021 | |
| Cambodia | 9 December 2021 | |
| Netherlands | 9 December 2021 | |
| Serbia | 9 December 2021 | |
| Russia | 9 December 2021 | |
| Singapore | 9 December 2021 | |
| Slovakia | 9 December 2021 | |
| Canada | 10 December 2021 | |
| Spain | 10 December 2021 | |
| Finland | 10 December 2021 | |
| UK | 10 December 2021 | |
| Iceland | 10 December 2021 | |
| Japan | 10 December 2021 | |
| Lithuania | 10 December 2021 | |
| Poland | 10 December 2021 | |
| Sweden | 10 December 2021 | |
| Turkey | 10 December 2021 | |
| USA | 10 December 2021 | |
| Italy | 16 December 2021 |
Also Known As (AKA)
| (original title) | West Side Story |
| Argentina | Amor sin barreras |
| Australia | West Side Story |
| Brazil | Amor, Sublime Amor |
| Bulgaria (Bulgarian title) | Уестсайдска история |
| Canada (English title) | West Side Story |
| Canada (French title) | West Side Story |
| Chile | Amor Sin Barreras |
| France | West Side Story |
| Germany | West Side Story |
| Hong Kong (Cantonese title) | 西城故事 |
| Hungary | West Side Story |
| India (English title) | West Side Story |
| India (Hindi title) | West Side Story |
| Italy | West Side Story |
| Japan (Japanese title) | ウエスト・サイド・ストーリー |
| Lithuania | Vestsaido istorija |
| Mexico | Amor Sin Barreras |
| Panama | Historia del lado oeste |
| Russia | Вестсайдская история |
| Serbia | Priča sa zapadne strane |
| Slovenia | Zgodbe z zahodne strani |
| Spain | West Side Story |
| Taiwan | 西城故事 |
| Turkey (Turkish title) | Batı Yakasının Hikayesi |
| Ukraine | Вестсайдська історія |
| UK | West Side Story |
| USA | West Side Story |
| USA (fake working title) | San Juan Hill |
| Vietnam | Câu Chuyện Phía Tây |