Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated musical remake, West Side Story, is officially getting a streaming release. The film will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on March 2 in most countries, with the remake premiering in Taiwan on March 9, and on March 30 in Japan.
Spielberg’s take on the 1957 musical, featuring a book by Arthur Laurents and music by Leonard Bernstein and the late genius Stephen Sondheim, is the second version of the Romeo and Juliet reimagining to hit screens, after the 1961 film adaptation starring Natalie Wood cemented the musical, which also won two Tony Awards in its heyday, in pop culture history and marked a turning point for theater by addressing issues like racism, immigration, and classism among American youths on screen.
The 2021 version features the talents of Ansel Elgort as Tony, Ariana DeBose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo, Mike Faist as Riff, Brian d’Arcy James as Officer Krupke, Corey Stoll as Lieutenant Schrank, Josh Andres Rivera as Chino, Rachel Zegler as Maria and Rita Moreno as Valentina. The film features a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning writer Tony Kushner, with legendary conductor Gustavo Dudamel in charge of recording and reimagining the film’s score, and Justin Peck as choreographer.
The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for DeBose. The film has also garnered a number of other awards nominations, including eleven Critics’ Choice Awards, Directors Guild and Producers Guild Award nominations for Spielberg, a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for Kushner, and a Screen Actors Guld Award nomination for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role for DeBose. The film has also already won three Golden Globe Awards, for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, Best Actress for Zegler, and Best Supporting Actress for DeBose.
Spielberg’s West Side Story arrives on Disney+ on March 2. In the meantime, audiences can stream the 1961 film version of HBO Max and Hulu.
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