West Side Story 2021 UK release date, cast and first look at new movie
West Side Story film release date UK and castThe new West Side Story movie has an official UK release date for 2021.
A new big screen version of the Tony award-winning musical was originally due to hit cinemas last year.
After a delay due to the pandemic, the film has now confirmed to be released on 10 December 2021.
Based loosely on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story is set in 1950s New York and tells the story of teenage lovers Tony and Maria who are caught between warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks.
The new film adaption features a screenplay by Tony Kushner – who wrote the musical’s book – with direction by Steven Spielberg.
West Side Story movie cast
The 2021 West Side Story movie cast will be led by Ansel Elgort as Tony, Rachel Zegler as Maria, Ariana DeBose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo, Corey Stoll as Police Lieutenant Schrank, Brian d’Arcy James as Police Sergeant Krupke, Rita Moreno as Valentina, Mike Faist as Riff and Curtiss Cook as Abe.
Cast as the Jets are Ezra 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.
Making up the Sharks are Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino, Ana Isabelle as Rosalia, Julius Anthony Rubio as Quique, Ricardo Zayas as Chago, Sebastian Serra as Braulio and Carlos Sánchez Falú as Pipo.
Speaking shortly before his death in November, composer Stephen Sondheim teased “surprises” from the adaptation.
He enthused: “It’s terrific. And for those who know the show there are going to be some real surprises in it. Tony Kushner who wrote the screenplay has done some really imaginative and surprising things with the way the songs are used in the story.
“The whole thing has real sparkle to it and energy. It feels fresh. Movie musicals are hard to do and Spielberg and Kushner really nailed it.”
In the meantime, you can buy or download the original 1961 film adaption here.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
More on: West Side Story Musical Theatre News
