Will Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Premiere in Theaters on Schedule? Here’s What We Know About the Future of This Musical Theater Remake
Whether you’re a Shark or a Jet, fans of this musical are counting down the days until the remake debuts. Unfortunately, that date might come a little later than some anticipated.
Will Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story premiere during December 2020 or will the cinematic debut be pushed back? Here’s what we know about this upcoming reboot of this musical theater classic.
Steven Spielberg is doing an adaptation of a fan-favorite musical
Maria and Tony are back with their iconic love story. This time, however, there will be a few fresh faces portraying these iconic characters. There will also be a new director behind this movie musical — the man behind Jurassic Park, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg.
Cast members in this new adaptation of West Side Story include Ansel Elgort as one of the main characters, Tony, and newcomer Rachel Zegler as the starring role of Maria. There’s also Dance Moms alumna Maddie Ziegler, David Alvarez, and Ariana DeBose.
Although it was initially set to premiere during December 2020, and filming for this production has since stopped, some fans are wondering whether or not the release date will be pushed back due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
This version of ‘West Side Story’ is set to premiere during December 2020
After months of anticipation, Steven Spielberg revealed that his musical adaptation would premiere during 2020. This would include a number of songs from the original musical, although they would feature a kind of “authenticity” missing from the 1961 film.
“They brought an authenticity,” Steven Spielberg said on the diversity in this live-action remake during an interview with 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,” he continued. “They all represent, I think, a diversity, both within the Puerto Rican, Nuyorican community as well as the broader Latinx community. And they took that seriously.”
Will ‘West Side Story’ still premiere in theaters this winter?
Steven Spielberg hasn’t shared whether West Side Story’s premiere date would be pushed back. New movies are debuting in theaters starting this summer, including the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Mulan.
As a result, fans still expect West Side Story to mambo into theaters, instead of doing going straight to streaming platforms. (Some movies, as a result of the coronavirus, appeared on Disney’s subscription service, including Hamilton and Onward, although Onward did enjoy a few weeks in theaters.)
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is scheduled to premiere on December 18, 2020. Presumably, more information will be announced in the coming weeks. Until then, fans can watch movie musicals and live productions on streaming platforms like Disney+, Netflix, and Hulu.
