The Sharks and Jets are gonna have their day – in December 2020. The new film adaptation of West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg, is set to be released on December 18, Walt Disney Studios revealed. Disney have taken over distribution of the film following the acquisition of Fox properties earlier this year.
Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Zegler will star as star-crossed Tony and Maria, with Ariana DeBose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo, Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino, Brian d’Arcy James as Officer Krupke, Corey Stoll as Lieutenant Schrank, and EGOT winner and star of the original film Rita Moreno, who’ll play the newly created Valentina.
A host of Broadway alumni help fill out the cast, including Dear Evan Hansen Tony nominee Mike Faist, Paloma Garcia-Lee, David and Jacob Guzman, Ricky Ubeda, Ben Cook, Sara Esty, Garett Hawe, Tanairi Vazquez, Eloise Kropp, and Jess LeProtto.
Set in 1950s New York, the classic musical tells of the gang rivalry between the New York Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. It is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and features classic numbers including I Feel Pretty, Something’s Coming, America, Cool and Tonight.
The original film came out in 1961 and starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris. It went on to win ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.