SPIELBERG’S WESTSIDE STORY
Sneak Peak Featurette
After being delayed for a year it looks like Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic movie musical West Side Story is finally making its way to the theater screen on December 10, 2021, which also happens to coincide with the release of the original film back in 1961. The beloved musical follows the romance between teenagers Tony and María from rival street gangs in 1950’s New York City. Embroiled Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort plays Tony opposite newcomer Rachel Zegler as María. Rita Moreno, who starred in the original movie as María’s sister-in-law Anita, takes on the role of Vanessa in the new film.
While we wait for West Side Story to hit the big screen, let’s take a look at the featurette that was just released as well as some new photos. The minute and 36 second long featurette, which is set to the tune of Somewhere gives us a behind the scenes glimpse of the movie being made. We see our actors in costume as they rehearse and learn their roles. Of course, eagle-eyed viewers will point out how much Disney has stopped using Elgort in newly released promotional materials. In 2020, a young woman took to Twitter to accuse Elgort of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 and he was 20. While Elgort countered that they actually had a consensual relationship, Disney has distanced themselves from the performer. After the allegations became public, many wondered what would happen for the film, with some speculating that production might pull an All the Money in the World and refilm Elgort’s scenes with a new actor. That obviously did not happen, and given that Tony is the lead character in the movie, it would be truly hard to edit his role down to something smaller.
What’s truly unfortunate about the situation is how the alleged actions of one man now overshadow the rest of the cast. The movie marks Zegler’s screen debut, prior to being cast as the lead in this, she was a high school student at New York City’s LaGuardia High School who posted YouTube videos of her singing and celebrity impressions. Tony-nominated Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita, has quickly been building a name for herself in film since her breakout screen performance in Netflix’s The Prom last year. The rest of the cast includes Tony-winner David Alvarez, and Tony-nominees Mike Faist and Brian d’Arcy James, and Golden Globe-nominee Corey Stoll.
