west side story© Photo: Disney+

The first trailer for West Side Story is here - and it looks amazing

Viewers got a first look at the musical during the Oscars

TV & Film Writer
April 26, 2021

The first teaser trailer for Steven Spielberg's highly-anticipated West Side Story remake debuted during the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday night - and it looks seriously amazing!

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The 90-second clip, which was shown during a break in the Oscars ceremony, teases some of the musical's most memorable songs like Dance at the Gym and Tonight and looks like a vibrant homage to the original. Check it out below…

WATCH: See the first trailer for West Side Story

The new musical, which is a remake of 1961 classic which itself is based on a 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, stars Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Zegler as a pair of young star-crossed lovers caught in the crossfire between two warring gangs.

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The cast also includes Prom's Ariana DeBose, Maddie Ziegler and Billions actor Corey Stoll. Rita Moreno, who starred in the 1961 version, will also appear as a new character created specifically for the remake.

The original movie took home an incredible ten Academy Awards and Rita, became the first Latina actress ever to win an Oscar for her standout supporting role in the film.

© Photo: Disney+

Ansel Elgort stars as Tony in the remake

Additionally, it's been reported that most of the Sharks - the gang of Puerto Rican New Yorkers who battle with the American Jets for control over the city - will be made up of authentic Hispanic performers. According to Vanity Fair, 20 of the 33 Puerto Rican characters in the film are "specifically Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent". In contrast, many of The Sharks in the original movie were white actors in brown makeup.

© Photo: Disney+

The cast is set to be much more diverse than the original 1961 musical

Speaking about the film, director Steven Spielberg said: "This has been a journey without precedence: a joyful, stunning, moving, endlessly surprising encounter with the story and score of one of the world's greatest musicals.

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"We filmed West Side Story all over New York, Flatbush to Fort Tryon Park. The city lent us its beauty and its energy, and we drew deeply upon its grand multicultural, multifaceted spirit."

The film was supposed to be released last year in time for Christmas but was delayed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new release date of December 10 2021 has been set for both the UK and US.

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