Far more of us grew up singing along to the lyrics of West Side Story than not. And most of us know that a reboot is on the way by Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg.
The iconic director and the studio behind the new West Side Story released a new sneak peek at the film. “We have been in production on this for months,” Spielberg says in the clip. “I am just so proud and honored that I got this shot late in my career,” he continues.
Originally West Side Story was due to be released in 2020. But, like so many other Hollywood projects, the film was delayed due to the ongoing pandemic. Now, 20th Century is hoping to dance its way into big numbers with a release of the movie during the upcoming holiday season.
The 2021 film stars Rachel Zegler as Maria and Ansel Elgort as Tony. In the original West Side Story, the legendary Rita Moreno played the role of Anita. In this new version, she takes on the role of Valentina, the shop owner of the store that Tony works in. “You don’t want to start with ‘I’d like to take you out to coffee?’” she says in the teaser.
The movie is one of the most anticipated of 2021 and has several hurdles to overcome. The least of which is having a successful and notable film. Even if it is a movie, that is based on a musical, that itself is based on a Shakespeare play. If anyone can do it, it’s Steven Spielberg.
West Side Story is releasing in theaters on December 10.