Steven Spielberg's West Side Story is heading to Disney+ 🦈✈️
Could it be? Yes it could, something's coming, something good
Last updated 9th Feb 2022
It hasn't been long since Steven Spielberg's incredible remake of West Side Story wowed us in cinemas when it was released last year. But we now have a date set for when the film will be available to stream.
West Side Story will be heading to Disney+ on 2nd March giving several of us the chance to watch (or re-watch) the film from the comfort of our homes.
The film is already getting plenty of buzz having recently picked up nominations at the BAFTAs and the Oscars.
Read more about the new West Side Story film:
After a year of great movie musicals, 2021 finished with an absolute classic. The brand new film adaptation of West Side Story, directed by none other than Steven Spielberg has finally arrived!
Join us as we dive into everything you need to know about this new version of the beloved musical including who's in the cast, when it was released and so much more!
West Side Story: Plot
Based on William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, West Side Story takes the legendary star-crossed lovers to 1950s New York City. Instead of rival families, the Montagues and Capulets are replaced with rival gangs who come from different backgrounds, the Sharks are a Puerto Rican gang and the Jets are a White gang.
The lovers in this version are Tony - the former leader of the Jets, and the Sharks' leader's sister - Maria. Like in Shakespeare's story, the romance causes the tension between the two gangs to escalate and the story ends in tragedy.
West Side Story UK release date:
West Side Story was released in UK cinemas on Friday 10th December 2021. The film had been slated for release at the end of 2020 but was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
West Side Story 2021 Cast
Ansel Elgort as Tony
Ansel rose to fame from his role as Gus in the 2014 film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars, he also played the role of Caleb in the Divergent film series. He was nominated a Golden Globe for his role in the 2017 film Baby Driver.
Rachel Zegler as María
Rachel will be making her feature film debut as María having auditioned for the role whilst still in high school. This is only the beginning for her though as she is also set to star in the upcoming Shazam sequel and lead Disney's live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Ariana DeBose as Anita
Ariana's career took off after appearing in the US version of So You Think You Can Dance in 2009. She went on to appear in the Broadway productions of Bring It On: The Musical, Motown: The Musical, Pippin and the original Broadway cast of Hamilton. She was nominated for a Tony Award for playing the lead in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.
Ariana also played Alyssa Greene in Netflix's The Prom and Emma in the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon.
David Alvarez as Bernardo
David was one of the original Billys in the Broadway production of Billy Elliot and became on of the youngest winners of Best Actor in a Musical at the Tony Awards in 2009.
He went on to serve in the US Army but returned to performing afterwards including the Broadway production of On the Town.
Mike Faist as Riff
Mike was the original Connor Murphy in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen, a role which won him a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. He's also appeared in the film Wildling and the series Panic.
Brian d'Arcy James as Officer Krupkee
Brian has appeared in several shows on Broadway including Shrek the Musical, Next to Normal, Something Rotten! and Hamilton. He was also in Netflix's 13 Reasons Why and the 2015 film Spotlight.
Rita Moreno as Valentina
Rita has a career spanning over 70 years and appeared in the films Singin' in the Rain and The King and I. She played Anita in the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story. Rita is also one of the few people who are EGOT winners - meaning she has won an Emmy Award, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award.
The film also stars Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino, Ana Isabelle as Rosalia, Corey Stroll as Lieutenant Schrank, Curtiss Cook as Abe, Kevin Csolak as Diesel, Iris Menas as Anybodys, Ben Cook as Mouthpiece, Sean Harrison Jones as Action, Patrick higgins as Baby John Paloma Garcia Lee as Graziella and Maddie Ziegler as Velma.
Who is Valentina?
As mentioned earlier, Rita Moreno returns to West Side Story now in the role of Valentina, a new character not in the original musical or the 1961 film. In this version of the story Doc - Tony's employer and parental figure - has passed away and leaves a widow, Valentina, who assumes the role Doc usually plays in the original story.
Who wrote the music for West Side Story?
The music for West Side Story was written by Leonard Bernstein who was one of the greatest American composers and conductors of the 20th Century. As well as musicals, Bernstein wrote operas, symphonies, choral music and plenty more!
Other musicals composed by Leonard Bernstein include On the Town, Wonderful Town and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He was the first conductor to explore sharing music through the medium of television with Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic.
By the end of his life, Leonard Bernstein had a Tony Award, eleven Emmys and seventeen Grammy Awards.
Who wrote the lyrics?
West Side Story's lyrics were written by Stephen Sondheim who went on to become one of musical theatres's greatest composers and lyricists. Stephen was reluctant to take on the job as he wanted to write the music too. But his mentor - Oscar Hammerstein II - encouraged him to do so.
Following West Side Story, Sondheim went on to write the lyrics for Gypsy and then wrote both the music and lyrics for Follies, Sweeney Todd, Company, Into the Woods and Passion. Sondheim continued to work up until his death in November 2021.
Who's the director?
The big name turning everybody's heads is of course this adaptations director and co-producer, Steven Spielberg. Spielberg has directed some of the most famous films in history including Jaws, E.T., Tho Color Purple, Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones film series. West Side Story however, will mark Steven Spielberg's first musical.
Despite such an impressive filmography, Stephen has said that this adaptation of West Side Story is “the most daunting of my career”.
He added: “It’s very intimidating to take a masterpiece and make it through different eyes and different sensibilities without compromising the integrity of what is generally considered the greatest music ever written for the theatre. But I believe that great stories should be told over and over again, in part to reflect different perspectives and moments in time into the work.”
Who wrote the script?
The book of West Side Story was written by Arthur Laurents, a playwright and screenwriter who also wrote the books for Gypsy and Anyone Can Whistle. He also was a director on two revivals of West Side Story (London 1998, Broadway 2009) and he won a Tony for his direction of the original Broadway production of La Cage Aux Folles.
The screenplay of the new film is written by playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner. Tony's worked with Steven Spielberg before on his films Munich and Lincoln. Tony is probably best known in the theatrical world for his Pulitzer Prize-winning two-part play Angels in America.
The story of West Side Story
West Side Story was originally conceived in the late 1940s as East Side Story with the rival groups coming from different backgrounds. But as the show was shelved and time went on it eventually became the story we know today.
West Side Story had tryouts in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia in the summer of 1957 and then opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on 26th September 1957. The production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins (The Pajama Game, Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof) and starred Larry Kert as Tony, Carol Lawrence as Maria and Chita Rivera as Anita.
While the show did gain positive reviews, Leonard Bernstein's son claimed that the show wasn't a the giant hit we know now: “That happened when the movie came out three and a half years later.”
The musical's original film adaptation was directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins and starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris. the film was released in the USA on 18th October 1961 and in the UK on 27th February 1962.
The 1961 film adaptation still stands as the movie musical with the most Oscar wins having won 10 awards at the 34th Academy Awards in 1962 including Best Picture.
West Side Story 2021 soundtrack
Bernstein's score was adapted by Oscar-winning composer David Newman (Heathers, Matilda, Anastasia) and John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars) worked as a music consultant.
West Side Story's soundtrack was released by Hollywood Records on 3rd December 2021 and is now available to buy and stream. The soundtrack includes all the songs we love from the musical such as 'María', 'America', 'Tonight', 'Gee, Officer Krupke' 'I feel Pretty' and 'Somewhere'.
Will there be any new music?
Whilst not a new song, the West Side Story 2021 soundtrack includes 'La Borinqueña (Sharks Version)' which is performed by Bernardo (David Alvarez) along with the rest of the Sharks near the beginning of the film. The song has not featured in any other versions of the musical.
The title of the song comes from the native name for Puerto Rico (Borinquen or Boriquen) and an updated version of the song is used as Puerto Rico's national anthem. The Sharks Version however, uses lyrics from the revolutionary version written by Lola Rodríguez de Tió in the 1860s.
How can I watch West Side Story?
There are limited screenings taking place at various cinemas. You can catch the film on Disney+ on 2nd March 2022 and will most likely be available to buy on DVD and digital download around the same time.
WATCH: Trailer for Steven Spielberg's West Side Story
Check out these movie musicals that are in the works:
The Little Mermaid
Disney are back with another reimagining of one of their classic animations. This live-action version of The Little Mermaid will star Halle Bailey as Ariel, Hamilton's Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Bridesmaids' Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
The film will be directed by Rob Marshall who has directed other brilliant musical adaptations including Chicago and Into the Woods. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's music from the original will be featured as well as some new music written by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The Little Mermaid will be arriving in UK cinemas on 26th May 2023.
The Color Purple
The musical adaptation of Alice Walker's The Color Purple is set to be turned into a film by Warner Brothers. So far In the Height's Corey Hawkins and singer/songwriter H.E.R are set to star in the film which will be directed by Black is King's Blitz Bazawule.
The Color Purple is expected to be released in December 2023.
Snow White
Another classic to get a live action remake is Disney's first ever animated feature film, Snow White. West Side Story star Rachel Zegler is playing the titular role with Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot set to play the Evil Queen.
While we expect songs from the original 1937 film to be included, there will also be new music from Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Snow White is set to arrive in cinemas in March 2024.
Wicked
We can't have a list of upcoming movie musicals without talking about the Wicked movie. Stephen Schwartz's musical telling the untold story of the witches of Oz has been a worldwide smash hit since the show opened on Broadway all the way back in 2003.
Now despite plenty of delays, the film going ahead. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will lead the film as Elphaba and Glinda. In the Heights and Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu is directing the film.
Filming is currently underway and the adaptation will be released in two parts released during the festive periods of 2024 and 2025.
Spamalot
Spamalot, the hilarious musical adaptation of the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail in the works at Paramount. A lot of the development is complete with a screenplay written by Monty Python's very own Eric Idle.
The film adaptation will be directed by Casey Nicholaw, who choreographed the original Broadway production of Spamalot as well as working as a director and choreographer on many notable productions such as the Broadway productions of The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls, and the recent West End revival of Dreamgirls.
We haven't heard anything since January 2021 but work on the film was supposed to have started by the end of last year.
Sunset Boulevard
The iconic musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black is one that's been in the pipeline for quite some time, approximately two decades in fact! The film has faced multiple hurdles over the years which still seem to be continuing.
Glenn Close, who starred as Norma Desmond in the original Broadway production in 1994 as well as the West End and Broadway revivals in 2016 and 2017 respectively, was set to produce the film and reprise her role again once more. When speaking to Vogue magazine last year, she said: "We're just waiting for an absolute green light" and that she hoped to start filming that summer.
But our dreams were dashed and this plan did not go ahead with Paramount stalling production. Andrew Lloyd Webber said: "Paramount has not wanted to go ahead with it". So all we can do now is hope that we can do now is hope they change their mind.
Merrily We Roll Along
Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's 1981 musical Merrily We Roll Along will be getting the movie treatment – the long way round. The musical is based on George S. Kaufman's play of the same name and tells the story of three friends over the course of 20 years, starting at the end and heading backwards in time.
Richard Linklater will be writing and directing the film and he will be returning to the technique he used for Boyhood, where the film will be filmed in real-time across the two decades. So don't expect to be seeing this film until the 2040s. The film is set to star Dear Evan Hansen's Ben Platt, Beanie Feldstein (who's about to lead Funny Girl on Broadway) and Blake Jenner (What/If, Glee).
Mean Girls
In 2018, a musical adaptation of Tina Fay's iconic film, Mean Girls opened on Broadway with music and lyrics by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin. The show was a hit and earned Tina Fey a Tony nomination for the show's book. Now a new film adapted from the musical is in the works with Tina Fey at the helm. The film will be directed by husband-wife team Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne.
In 2022 it was announced that Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auli'i Cravalho, and Jaquel Spivey will play Cady, Regina, Janis, and Damian, respectively. No release date has been announced as of yet but the film has begun production and it's set to be released on Paramount+.
A Chorus Line
Possibly one of the most fascinating projects on this list, Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story, The Prom) is working on a new adaptation of A Chorus Line. This new take on the iconic Broadway musical will not be another film version like the one that came out in 1985. Instead, we'll be getting a miniseries that will also explore the musical's creative process.
The show was developed after a group of Broadway dancers came together and shared their stories onto some tapes. When speaking to Deadline in 2020, Ryan said: "I got the rights to all of those interviews. I have all of those tapes. I have all of that material about how was 'What I Did For Love,' what is that about? How was 'Dance: Ten, Looks: Three?'"
There is no release date yet, but we do know that it will be heading for Netflix when it is released.
Once on This Island
Once on this Island is an adaptation of the 1985 novel titled My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy. The musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens recently had a successful revival on Broadway and is now set for a film adaptation to be released on Disney+.
The screenplay will be written by playwright Jocelyn Bioh with notable plays such as School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, and The Ladykiller's Love Story. The film will be directed by Africa Movie Academy Award-winner Wanuri Kahiu.
Follies
Another Sondheim musical heading for the big screen is Follies which has a book by James Goldman and first opened in 1971. We know very little about this adaptation, but production company Heyday Films have said that a script is "in active development". It wouldn't be the first time the musical's been on the big screen, the National Theatre's 2017 revival was filmed and released in UK cinemas.
Little Shop of Horrors
A new movie adaptation of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's Little Shop of Horrors is in the works. The musical is based on the 1960 film of the same name and is about a florist who discovers a plant that needs human blood to survive. This adaptation of the musical would be the second after Frank Oz' 1986 version.
There's limited casting information but Billy Porter (Pose, Cinderella) will play the role of the carnivorous plant Audrey II. Roumoured casting includes Rocketman's Taron Egerton as Seymour, and Marvel Cinematic Universe alumni Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans as Audrey and her dentist boyfriend Orin Scrivello.
The last we heard of this production was in early 2020 before the pandemic hit so don't expect to see this too soon.
Bare: A Pop Opera
Bare captured the hearts of many young musical theatre fans which its story of two schoolboys who fall in love but struggle to confront who they are. The musical quickly became a beloved musical for its LGBT+ storyline.
In 2018 it was announced that the director of the original Los Angeles and New York productions, Kristin Hanggi would write and direct a movie adaptation of the show. At the time of writing there hasn't been an update on the project since the announcement but we're still holding out hope that we'll get one!
Be More Chill
Based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Ned Vizzini, Be More Chill tells the story of a teenage boy who takes a pill containing a tiny computer that will change his behaviour to make him popular. The show became a recent hit in recent years having transferred to Broadway and the West End. In 2018, it was announced that a film adaptation was in the works with distribution rights secured by 20th Century Studios.
Spring Awakening
Now we have very little info on this one however there looks like there could be a Spring Awakening movie in the pipeline. While rumours of a film have been floating around for about a decade, the musical's writer Steven Sater tweeted in 2020 that there could be some progress on the project.
However, we're not getting our hopes up just yet as this one still looks to be a long way away.
Read more:
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An In The Heights Film is coming thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda!
Check out these musicals you can enjoy at home 🎶