The first image of Steven Speilberg’s remake of West Side High has been released by Disney-Fox. This film also reunites Spielberg with his screenwriter Tony Kushner.
New Cast Update
Ansel Elgort has taken over the lead as Tony and a newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria. The above pic shows that the rivalry of the two gangs has taken over the streets of New York. The original setting and plot are kept the same with our two lovers. The movie is about two gangs, which are rival and fight for territories. Tony belongs to the ‘sharks’ and Maria belongs to the ‘jets’.
Along with Ansel and Rachel, Rita Moreno who won the award of best supporting role has been cast in this remake. The caste of the film is a mostly young new performer, but the hopes from them are pretty high. There is no trailer yet, but a teaser image has been released. The teaser is enough to bring back the nostalgia and love for the movie.
Production Details
Spielberg stated that “they began the process a year ago and announced that they would cast roles of Maria, Chino, Anita and the Sharks with Latina and Latino actors”. The casting which asked for only Latino actor was well received with 30k signed votes. Zegler is thrilled to play Maria.
The original film had Bernstein songs, and the remake is keeping it that way. There is no news yet that the film will conclude any new songs. Rumour has it that the film will shoot outside of apartments on 131st Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues. The production could start by mid-July.
West Side Story is set to release on 18 December 2020.