There is something magical about musicals. Between the beautiful songs that convey whole stories to the difficult, yet perfect dance routines that tie everything together— it just works. Modern favorites have made a splah in recent years, but now the time has come for a return to a classic.
Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg's adaptation of West Side Storyis just around the corner. Yes, you heard that right all my musical fans, the West Side Story. The movie is from a screenplay written by Tony Kushner, who is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning writer. 20th Century Studios finally released its first colorful trailer for West Side Story, which is coming out in U.S. theaters on Dec. 10, 2021.
The trailer depicts a reimagining of the classic story that we all know and love. Based in New York City in 1957, there is a rivalry between two ethnically different teen street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets, that cannot be destroyed so easily. Adding fire to their mutual hatred is a plot of forbidden young love between Tony (Ansel Elgort) and María (Rachel Zegler), who are members of the two opposite sides. Despite the similarities, this new West Side Story is not exactly like the 1961 adaptation, which is seen in the vivid scenes portrayed in the trailer. Still, only time will tell if it lives up to the standards of its Academy Award-winning predecessor. I'd say it's a good sign that Rita Moreno is part of the cast and serves as an executive producer.
This daring take is a beautiful combination of Broadway’s and Hollywood’s best of the best. There is no doubt in my mind that it is set up to be a movie of the year, with its award-winning and extremely accomplished team and cast. Not only did they make an amazing movie, but they were able to add life back into West Side Story, which is something that I think we all need right now. It's a reminder that love can be found even among turmoil.
Watch the trailer:
West Side Story is produced by Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Kevin McCollum under Amblin Entertainment. Alongside Elgort and Zegler, the cast includes Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Josh Andrés Rivera, Corey Stoll and Brian d'Arcy James.