Palisadian Steven Spielberg Directs ‘West Side Story’ Remake

By MAGNOLIA LAFLEUR | Reporter

Academy Award-winning director and Palisadian Steven Spielberg’s latest film, “West Side Story,” is coming back to the silver screen, 60 years after its original film debut in 1961.

Set in New York during the 1950s, “West Side Story” originally debuted on Broadway in 1957 as a romantic “Romeo & Juliet”-like tale, written by Arthur Laurents and composed by Leonard Bernstein, about star-crossed teenage lovers, Tony and Maria, who fall in love despite their affiliations with rival gangs, the Jets and Sharks.

Produced and directed by Spielberg and written by Academy Award nominee and playwright Tony Kushner, the film’s cast includes original member Rita Moreno, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal in the 1961 film as Valentina, Ansel Elgort as the main character, Tony, and newcomer Rachel Zegler as his romantic lead, Maria.

“They brought an authenticity,” Spielberg told Vanity Fair. “They brought themselves, and everything they believe and everything about them—they brought that to the work. And there was so much interaction between the cast wanting to be able to commit to the Puerto Rican experience.”

This updated version of “West Side Story” is written by Kushner, but still uses the original songs from musical composer Bernstein.

To share her experience and perspectives on the film with the new cast, Spielberg made Moreno, 88, an executive producer. Moreno passes the torch of the role of Anita to Broadway actress and Tony Award nominee Ariana DeBose who starred in “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.” The main producers on the film consist of Spielberg, Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko.

Moreno, a Puerto Rican herself, told NPR how groundbreaking this story and role of Anita was for her, saying, “What was important about Anita to me—and still is—is that Anita, believe it or not, was the only part I ever remember where I represented Hispanics in a dignified and positive way. It represented a lot of breakthroughs for young actors of Hispanic origin.”

The film is scheduled for nationwide release December 10.