West Side Story movie 2021 Hollywood story watch full movie
Two teenagers from different ethnic backgrounds fall in love in 1950s New York City.
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking.
West Side Story is a 2021 American musical romantic drama film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Tony Kushner. The film is the second feature-length adaptation of the 1957 stage musical of the same name with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler (in her feature film debut), with Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, and Rita Moreno in supporting roles. Moreno, who appeared in the 1961 film adaptation, is also an executive producer, alongside Kushner.
The West Side Story film started development in 2014 by 20th Century Fox, and Kushner started writing the screenplay in 2017. In January 2018, Spielberg was hired, and casting began by September 2018. Justin Peck choreographed the dance sequences. Filming began in July 2019 and wrapped up two months later. The shooting occurred in New York and New Jersey.
West Side Story movie had its world premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater in New York City on November 29, 2021, and will be theatrically released by 20th Century Studios in the United States on December 10, 2021, after being delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early reactions to the film West Side Story were positive, with praise directed towards Spielberg’s direction, Kushner’s screenplay, performances (particularly those of Zegler, DeBose, Alvarez, Faist, and Moreno), musical numbers, cinematography, Peck’s choreography, and faithfulness to the source material.
West Side Story cast
| Directed by | Steven Spielberg |
|---|---|
| Screenplay by | Tony Kushner |
| Based on | West Side Story by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins |
| Produced by | Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Kevin McCollum |
| Starring | Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Rachel Zegler |
| Cinematography | Janusz Kamiński |
| Edited by | Michael Kahn, Sarah Broshar |
| Music by | Leonard Bernstein |
| Production companies | Amblin Entertainment, TSG Entertainment |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Studios |
| Release date | November 29, 2021 (Jazz at Lincoln Center) December 10, 2021 (United States) |
| Running time | 156 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Budget | $100 million |
West Side Story official trailer
West Side Story Taglines
A city divided. Their love will change everything
West Side Story Genres
West Side Story Languages
West Side Story Filming locations
West Side Story Character
- Ansel Elgort as Tony
- Rachel Zegler as María
- Ariana DeBose as Anita
- David Alvarez as Bernardo
- Mike Faist as Riff
- Rita Moreno as Valentina
- Brian d’Arcy James as Officer Krupke
- Corey Stoll as Lieutenant Schrank
- Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino
- Iris Menas as Anybodys
- Mike Iveson as Glad Hand
- Jamila Velazquez as Meche
- Annelise Cepero as Provi
- Yassmin Alers as Lluvia
- Jamie Harris as Rory
- Curtiss Cook as Abe
West Side Story Filming
West Side Story movie Filming took place in Harlem and other Manhattan locations and in Flatlands, Brooklyn in New York City in July 2019. There were ten days of shooting in Paterson, New Jersey, where an outdoor set was built, in August 2019. Filming also took place in Newark and other parts of Essex County, New Jersey. It wrapped on September 27, 2019, for a total of 79 days of shooting. All of the sets were constructed at a warehouse at Steiner Studios.
West Side Story Music
West Side Story (2021 soundtrack)
Composer David Newman arranged and adapted Bernstein’s original score for the film. Gustavo Dudamel conducted the New York Philharmonic during the film’s recording sessions in 2019, with additional recording by the Los Angeles Philharmonic done during the COVID-19 pandemic the following year. Jeanine Tesori served as a vocal coach, while frequent Spielberg collaborator John Williams served as a music consultant. All of the songs were pre-recorded and used as playback on set, with the exceptions of “One Hand, One Heart” and “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love,” which did not use the playback and were instead sung live on set by Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler on the former and Ariana DeBose and Zegler on the latter. Portions of “Maria” were also sung live on set without the playback, as per Elgort’s request.
The West Side Story soundtrack album is expected to be released digitally in Dolby Atmos by Hollywood Records on December 3, 2021. It will also be released on physical CD on December 10, 2021, the same day as the film. The film’s version of “Tonight,” sung by Zegler and Elgort, was released as the soundtrack’s lead single on December 1, 2021.
Alongside the soundtrack, “re-imagined” pop covers were also produced, including “Another Day in America” by Kali Uchis and Ozuna, which was released as a single on November 26, 2021, by Interscope Records.
Musical numbers
- “Prologue” – Orchestra
- “La Borinqueña (Sharks Version)” – Bernardo & Sharks
- “Jet Song” – Riff, Ice, Diesel, Big Deal, Baby John & Jets
- “Something’s Coming” – Tony
- “The Dance at the Gym” – Orchestra
- “Maria” – Tony
- “Balcony Scene (Tonight)” – María & Tony
- “America” – Anita, Bernardo, Rosalía, Sharks & Shark Girls
- “Gee, Officer Krupke” – Diesel, Big Deal, A-Rab, Mouthpiece, Snowboy, Baby John & Balkan
- “One Hand, One Heart” – Tony & María
- “Cool” – Tony & Riff
- “Tonight (Quintet)” – Riff, Bernardo, Anita, Tony, María, Jets & Sharks
- “The Rumble” – Orchestra
- “I Feel Pretty” – María, Luz, Rosalía, Fausta, Charita, Lluvia, Meche & Provi
- “Somewhere” – Valentina
- “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love” – Anita & María
- “Mambo (Reprise)” – Orchestra
- “Finale” – María, Tony & Orchestra
West Side Story Release date
Theatrical
West Side Story was initially scheduled to be released in the United States on December 18, 2020, by 20th Century Studios. In September 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parent company Disney delayed the release date to December 10, 2021, which will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the release of the original 1961 film The film will have an exclusive 45-day theatrical run, including engagements in Dolby Cinema and IMAX.
The West Side Story film was first screened for most of the cast, including Rachel Zegler, Mike Faist, Josh Andrés Rivera, and some members of the Jets and Sharks factions, at the Daniel Koch Theater in Lincoln Center on November 17, 2021. It then screened for industry and critics at its world premiere on November 29, 2021, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater. It will be followed by its Los Angeles premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on December 7, 2021.
