Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Pushed Back a Year to 2021
Film was supposed to hit theaters this Dec. 18
Beatrice Verhoeven | September 23, 2020 @ 10:05 AM
Last Updated: September 23, 2020 @ 10:25 AM
20th Century Fox/Disney
Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” has been bumped a year from Dec. 18 of this year until Dec. 10, 2021, Disney announced on Wednesday.
The studio also pushed “Black Widow” from Nov. 6 to May 7, 2021. “Eternals” will now open on Nov. 5, 2021, instead of Feb. 12, 2021, and “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” previously dated for May 7, 2021, will now open on July 9, 2021.
Spielberg is directed and co-producing “West Side Story,” with a screenplay by Tony Kushner. It is the adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. A film adaptation was released in 1961.
The new adaptation will star Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria, while Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll and Brian d’Arcy James and Rita Moreno will also star.
“West Side Story” explores young love and tensions between rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks on the streets of 1957 New York.
Tony winner Justin Peck will choreograph the musical numbers in the film. Also leading the production are Tony-winning producer Kevin McCollum and Oscar-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger.
So far, no other big blockbuster is scheduled for Dec. 10, 2021, but an untitled “Spider-Man” sequel is slated for Dec. 16, 2021. Universal’s adaptation of the “Wicked” musical is also scheduled for release on Dec. 22, 2021.
Tony Awards' Biggest Snubs: 10 Classics That Lost Best Musical, From 'West Side Story' to 'Wicked' (Photos)
"West Side Story" (1957)
The classic Leonard Bernstein musical, with a book by Arthur Laurents and lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim, lost out at the 12th Tony Awards -- to Meredith Willson's "The Music Man."
"Gypsy" (1959)
Two years later, another Laurents-Sondheim collaboration (this time with composer Jule Styne) lost out to two rivals that tied for the award: the mostly forgotten "Fiorello!" and the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic "The Sound of Music." But while "Gypsy" has seen four revivals in the years since, "Sound of Music" has returned to Broadway only once -- and "Fiorello!" not at all.
"Hair" (1968)
Galt MacDermot's seminal rock musical was an influential hit, but it lost the top prize to the more buttoned-up historical pageant "1776."
"Grease" (1972)
Tony voters rewarded MacDermott three years later for the now forgotten "Two Gentlemen of Verona" -- and snubbed not just the popular '50s-set "Grease," but also Sondheim's "Follies."
"Chicago" (1975)
John Kander and Fred Ebb's caustic look at fame was overshadowed by "A Chorus Line" -- but the 1996 revival is still running after two decades and led to the Oscar-winning 2002 big-screen adaptation.
"Dreamgirls" (1981)
I am telling you, guess who's not going to the Tony stage despite becoming a much-loved hit. The R&B show that made Jennifer Holliday a major star lost to Maury Yeston's more esoteric "Nine," based on Federico Fellini's movie "8 1/2."
"Into the Woods" (1987)
Stephen Sondheim's much-loved fairy tale mash-up has become a fan favorite, but it lost the Best Musical race to a genuine behemoth: Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera."
"Miss Saigon" (1991)
Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg Vietnam-set update of "Miss Saigon" (complete with onstage helicopter) amazingly lost to the lightweight "The Will Rogers Follies."
"Mamma Mia!" (2001)
The ABBA jukebox musical was a hit that spawned two movies, but it lost to Jeanine Tesori's adaptation of the 1967 Julie Andrews film "Thoroughly Modern Millie."
"Wicked" (2003)
In one of the biggest upsets in Tony history, Stephen Schwartz's anthem-filled prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" lost the Best Musical prize to the R-rated puppets of "Avenue Q."
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“West Side Story,” “Wicked” and eight other shows that shockingly never won the top Tony Award
