‘West Side Story’ Trailer: A New Movie of the Classic Musical
After a delay of a full year because of the coronavirus, and a corporate merger that saw Disney purchase its original studio, 20th Century Fox, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is finally (hopefully) ready for its bow on the big-screen. Based on the beloved Broadway musical — which previously inspired a 1961 film adaptation directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins that won the Oscar for Best Picture — Spielberg’s film is a period piece set in 1950s New York City, and tells a Romeo & Juliet love story of two teens (played by Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler) who fall for one another in defiance of their connections to two rival street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.
The trailer looks absolutely gorgeous, with striking cinematography by Daniel L. Fapp and choreography by Justin Peck. Watch it below:
Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
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); and 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.
West Side Story opens in theaters on December 10, 2021.