Those watching the 2021 Oscars on Sunday were treated to the first trailer for the new "West Side Story."
The upcoming film, an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name which is loosely based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," is directed by Steven Spielberg. It stars Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort and Rita Moreno, among others.
This version of "West Side Story" comes 60 years after the iconic 1961 film adaptation directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. It won 10 Academy Awards, including best picture and best supporting actress for Moreno.
Speaking to Vanity Fair last March, Spielberg -- who is producing the film -- said the 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 that 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," he added.
Moreno, who is executive producing the film, said this version will "right some … should I say wrongs? I don’t know if that’s … yes, that’s fair, because the [1961] film had a lot of things that were wrong with it, aside from the fact that it had a lot of things that were very right."
MORE: Oscars red carpet 2021: See what stars wore for the 93rd Academy Awards"West Side Story" was originally scheduled to be released on Dec. 18, 2020, but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was delayed and will now be in theaters on Dec. 10, 2021. This means it will coincide with the 60th anniversary of the film.
For all things Oscars 2021, visit Oscar.com.
