Photos from 2020's West Side Story
Monday, March 16, 2020 at 1:45PM 
Vanity Fair has the exclusive first photos from Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story. They are certainly colorful, in more ways than one, if your main concern about this remake was the usual grayish color palette of Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.
Authenticity in casting is what differentiates this version, according to Spielberg. He tells VF:
“This story is not only a product of its time, but that time has returned, and it’s returned with a kind of social fury. I really wanted to tell you about the Puerto Rican, Nuyorican experience of basically the migration to this country and the struggle to make a living, and to have children, and to battle against the obstacles of xenophobia and racial prejudice.”
Spielberg tells Vanity Fair that most of the Puerto Rican characters in his West Side Story are played by actors “specifically Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent.” Rita Moreno who won an Oscar as Anita in the original returns to this version as a new character Valentina, the owner of a neighborhood store. She also serves as an executive producer helping Spileberg and team ensure authenticity in storytelling with her perspective.
The film stars Ansel Elgort as Tony, newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria and Broadway star Ariana DeBose in Moreno's old role. West Side Story is scheduled for release on December 18th. What do you think of the photos?
Reader Comments (21)
Photos look fabulous. Rita Moreno is in it too! Looks like a winner.
Meh.
This looks good, and I suspect the musical format will suit Speilberg's sensibilities well. He is at his best when he is asking probing questions about humanity mixed with the fantastical. He also is still the best at creating experiences for the big screen (along with Nolan, Luhrman, and a few others).
However, I can't say I'm thrilled about Ansel Elgort's casting as Tony. He's a good actor, but I'm not sure he's a believable romantic lead.
The colors look good but I'm not convinced with the angles, It makes look the elements of the compositions too close one each other.
The original film uses fantastically wide shots showing open spaces that makes looks the choreographies vibrant and fluid.
I hope Spielberg was smart enough to consult a choreographer and a stage director that helps him to explote the visuals that can be used in a musical and doesn't make the mistake that Rob Marshall does in Nine were he basically shot the musical numbers from the same position of the camera wich makes look the result as the filming of a theatre stage instead of a musical FILM.
You know what I mean?
Ansel Elgort looking a little Brando-like in some of the photos. Very much looking forward to this.
I'm far more enthused about In the Heights.
Not happy about the remake. I was a dancer and the choreographers at that time were the BEST.
I guess we will see.
Yass Rita! Great tasteful plastic surgery without losing her individual charm. Hope her parts is a good one because I would probably skip it without her presence.
Uh... no... it lacks the gorgeous Technicolor of the original. Sorry Steven but no...
While I had a few issues with the original film considering that the leads weren't as interesting as the rest of the ensemble, I still enjoyed the film. Plus, I don't buy Natalie Wood as Puerto Rican but she was OK.
This looks dazzling
I'm more cautiously optimistic than I was upon release of the first sepia-toned photo. We'll see.
Ansel is going to ruin this.
^thevoid99 you summed up the 1961 version appropriately - 2 leads were terrible, particularly the male lead. This new version shows promise, Thank you, Murtada.
While I adore living legend Rita Moreno, these photos look horribly plastic-y and staged and do not help to get me on board. Also not helping: Ansel Elgort at the Golden Globes acting like singing loud is impressive, regardless of the quality.
I don't know what's with all the Ansel hate, but the boy is pretty hot.
The original is one of my favorite movies, even with the miscast leads, so I’m more cautious than cautiously optimistic. I’m interested to see what Rachel Zegler brings to the role, we already know she has a beautiful voice. And while it’s lovely to see Moreno involved, I wonder what her character will add to the film. I do like that they seem to have cast a more racially diverse group of Puerto Rican/Latinx actors. So...we’ll see!
Is Valentina replacing Doc here?
I am not up for remaking any best picture winner ever!
I do not think Natalie Wood was horrible. Not great , but
The character itself was passive until the end. I feel she did a good job.
Beymer was hopeless.
I won't be rushing to the theater to see it, but will watch it when it streams, even if i do have to wait 2 years for it.
My first reaction to the news that Steven Spielberg was remaking West Side Story, was that it was a joke. Having seen these photos, he might do OK. I'm not aware of (and correct me if I'm wrong)
any musicals in his career. Of course it's wonderful if they use characters who really are Puerto Rican, etc, but is this the reason this was remade?
Wow, the images look vibrant! I will definitely see this even if I am not the biggest fan of the original.
I saw Ariana DeBose in concert last December -- she has an exquisite tone in her voice which is great for theater songs. She was one of the featured singers when the "Hamilton" cast paid tribute one night to the "A Chorus Line" original cast. She's quite a tiger when she sang songs by Donna Summer in that intimate concert. I hope she'll give a different edge to her portrayal of Anita.
I saw that David Alvarez is in this remake as well. When I saw "Billy Eliot" on Broadway, it was a different boy who played the titular character but that role demands so much from the performer anyway.
To be honest, I'm not a fan of remakes of older classic films, generally, I don't like what I've seen so far regarding photos of the upcoming reboot/remake of the film West Side Story. Having said that, I'll be voting my pocketbook and not going to see the reboot/remake of the film West Side Story when it comes out in late December of this year.