Steven Spielberg does not hesitate to take on new and big projects of all sorts, and he did an outstanding job with a remake of the classic musical “West Side Story.” Spielberg assembled an outstanding production team and cast that made this project something that would make the author of the original music, Leonard Bernstein, proud. Director Spielberg hired Tony Kushner to write the screenplay, who did an excellent job with material that was first conceived in 1957 by Jerome Robbins, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. The first movie came out in 1961, and won ten Oscars, including Best Picture.
The story is still the same, centering on a relationship between a white guy and a Puerto Rican girl in New York City. It is a modern-day version of Bill Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The stars of this new “West Side Story” features Ansel Elgort as Tony and Rachel Zegler as Maria, the two principals. These two actors are made for these lead roles. Co-stars include David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Ariana DeBose, and Rita Moreno, one of the stars of the first film, where she played the part of Anita, filled in by DeBose in this new production.
Two people that were integral in the success of the picture were music director David Newman and choreographer Justin Peck. “West Side Story” was nominated for seven Academy Awards, with the one winner being Ariana DeBose for Best Supporting Actress. It did not do well at the box office, probably due to low attendance during the Corona Virus Pandemic. “West Side Story” was a financial loss for producer-director Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, 20th Century Studios, and its parent company Walt Disney Pictures and The Walt Disney Company.
West Side Story (2021)
cinema
My Review
Steven Spielberg does not hesitate to take on new and big projects of all sorts, and he did an outstanding job with a remake of the classic musical “West Side Story.” Spielberg assembled an outstanding production team and cast that made this project something that would make the author of the original music, Leonard Bernstein, proud. Director Spielberg hired Tony Kushner to write the screenplay, who did an excellent job with material that was first conceived in 1957 by Jerome Robbins, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. The first movie came out in 1961, and won ten Oscars, including Best Picture.
The story is still the same, centering on a relationship between a white guy and a Puerto Rican girl in New York City. It is a modern-day version of Bill Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The stars of this new “West Side Story” features Ansel Elgort as Tony and Rachel Zegler as Maria, the two principals. These two actors are made for these lead roles. Co-stars include David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Ariana DeBose, and Rita Moreno, one of the stars of the first film, where she played the part of Anita, filled in by DeBose in this new production.
Two people that were integral in the success of the picture were music director David Newman and choreographer Justin Peck. “West Side Story” was nominated for seven Academy Awards, with the one winner being Ariana DeBose for Best Supporting Actress. It did not do well at the box office, probably due to low attendance during the Corona Virus Pandemic. “West Side Story” was a financial loss for producer-director Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, 20th Century Studios, and its parent company Walt Disney Pictures and The Walt Disney Company.