Vanity Fair has dropped some eye-popping new photos for the upcoming 20th Century Studios remake West Side Story, directed by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
The photos, which you can view below give us brand new looks at stars Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) and newcomer Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria. We also get a look at Ariana DeBose (Hamilton) as Anita and Rita Moreno (who played Anita in the 1961 film) as Valentina.
Steven Spielberg spoke with Vanity Fair, sharing why he chose to direct.
“This story is not only a product of its time, but that time has returned, and it’s returned with a kind of social fury. I really wanted to tell that Puerto Rican, Nuyorican experience of basically the migration to this country and the struggle to make a living, and to have children, and to battle against the obstacles of xenophobia and racial prejudice.”
Rita Moreno also shared her excitement for the film and why this film was and needed to be made despite the 1961 film being a classic it is.
“I don’t know if that’s…yes, that’s fair, because the [1961] film had a lot of things that were wrong with it, aside from the fact that it had a lot of things that were very right. The movie’s lack of Puerto Rican actors being one of them. “That’s what they were trying to fix and ameliorate,” she added, “and I think they have done an incredible job.”
An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.
The film also stars Ana Isabelle (Imprisoned), Corey Stoll (Ant-Man), Brian d’Arcy James (Spotlight), Curtiss Cook (Shutter Island). Moreno will also serve as the films executive producer. West Side Story will sing and dance it’s way into theaters on December 18, 2020.
Source: Vanity Fair
The Animation Commendation
March 16, 2020 at 6:42 pm
I’m honestly not a fan of the original film. Maybe I’ll like this one better?