West Side Story release date: Cast, trailer and latest news

The new adaptation of this popular movie musical, based on the 1957 Broadway production by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, tells the story of star-crossed teenagers Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler) as they fall in love in New York City in the 1950s.

The movie was originally set for release in December 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Here’s everything we know so far...

West Side Story release date

The film is now set for release on Friday 10th December 2021.

It was originally due to hit cinema screens in December 2020 but was delayed a year because of COVID-19.

Parent company Disney had initially hoped the new film would coincide with original 1961 flick's release date and award wins, but alas it wasn't to be.

Is there a West Side Story trailer?

The first West Side Story trailer was released during the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday 25th April as the glitzy ceremony took place in Union Station in Los Angeles, California.

In the clip, Ansel Elgort can be seen as Tony and Rachel Zegler portrays Maria while they dance through the ballrooms and streets of New York City.

The video features Oscars 2021 pre-show host Ariana DeBose as the fiery Anita and the film is already being hailed as a contender for an Academy Award at the 2022 Oscars.

The new teaser is set to the song 'Somewhere (There’s A Place For Us)' and it shows rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks as they are brought together in this love story, inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Other songs such as 'Dance at the Gym' and 'Tonight' can be heard in the video. Director Steven Spielberg appears to be staying close to the original movie with a recreation of the impressive opening dance number.

Why are they remaking West Side Story?

Back in March 2014, Steven Spielberg spoke of his interest in remaking West Side Story, which promoted 20th Century Fox to buy the rights to the project.

He told Vanity Fair last year: “West Side Story was actually the first piece of popular music our family ever allowed in the home. I fell completely in love with it as a kid.”

It was later revealed in July 2017 that playwright Tony Kushner, who previously worked with Spielberg on his 2012 film Munich, was writing the screenplay for the movie.

West Side Story Cast

The first cast member to be announced was Hollywood star Ansel Elgort. After breakout roles in the Divergent series and The Fault in Our Stars, Elgort was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in Baby Driver (2017) and will be playing the lead role of Tony in West Side Story. He has big boots to fill, following in the footsteps of Larry Kert who took on the role in the 1957 Broadway musical, and Richard Beymer who played Tony in the 1961 film adaptation.

Playing Tony's lover Maria is teenager Rachel Zegler. The Columbian-American singer-songwriter originates from New Jersey and had no previous screen credits prior to her casting. She was scouted for the film after posting a video of herself singing ‘I Feel Pretty’ from the musical. Zegler already had an impressive social media presence, following her cover of Lady Gaga’s ‘Shallow’ (from A Star is Born), which she posted on YouTube. She has also already played Maria in a school production of West Side Story.

Smaller roles have been given to some familiar faces, such as Corey Stoll (House of Cards, Ant-Man) who will be playing Lieutenant Schrank in the new movie, while Tony-nominated Mike Faist, who rose to fame as Connor Murphy in the hit musical Dear Evan Hansen, stars as leader of the Jets, Riff.

Other cast members include Brian d’Arcy James, Ana Isabelle, David Alvarez, Jamila Velazquez, Ariana DeBose and Paloma Garcia Lee.

Are there any cameos from the original cast?

Rita Moreno – who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing the part of Anita in the 1961 adaptation – has also been cast in the remake. Screenwriter Tony Kushner has created a new role for her, a part similar to Doc in the 1961 musical, under the new name of Valentina.

Will there be any original songs?

It has been confirmed that Ansel Elgort will perform the songs 'Maria', 'Somewhere', 'One Hand, One Heart', and 'Tonight' in the remake – so die-hard fans can rest assured the original music is being given pride of place. “No one will leave the movie without hearing all the classic songs," said screenwriter Kushner, who also confirmed he has been working with original lyricist Stephen Sondheim.

Kushner stated he would be keeping the musical numbers the same and the story would be more similar to the original Broadway show than the 1961 film.

What is West Side Story about?

A forbidden love story between Tony and Maria, this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet gives the original story a musical twist. Set in 1950s America, West Side Story sees rival gangs the ‘Sharks’ and the ‘Jets’ compete for territory on the streets. It just so happens that Tony is a member of the Jets, and Maria is the younger sister of the Sharks' leader Bernardo. Imagine the Montagues and the Capulets with more dancing and fewer rhyming couplets.

Attempting to hide their romance, Maria and Tony begin to meet in secret, unaware of the heartbreak that lies ahead.

Previous versions of West Side Story

The collective that is Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents created the musical together for Broadway in 1957. It won two Tony awards in 1958 for choreography and set design, and it was nominated for Best Musical only to lose out to the debut of The Music Man.

The film version was released in 1961 and amplified the success of the story. Featuring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer as Maria and Tony, the movie took home a total of ten Oscars at the Academy Awards in 1962, including Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Direction and Best Picture.

Disney's West Side Story movie remake is set to be released on 10th December – read the latest film and news information here and find something to watch now with our TV Guide