The first teaser for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” hit during the Oscars telecast on Sunday, offering fans of the musical a first-look glimpse at the film starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as star-crossed teenage lovers Tony and Maria.
Spielberg is directing 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. Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll and Brian d’Arcy James and Rita Moreno — the Oscar-winning star of the original film — will also star. Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita in the new film, introduced it.
“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.
Earlier this week, it was announced that a trailer for “West Side Story” would debut, alongside trailers for “In the Heights” based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical and a trailer for “Summer of Soul,” Questlove’s documentary that premiered at Sundance and will be released by Searchlight Pictures.
The details came according to an interview in Adweek with Jerry Daniello, SVP, entertainment brand solutions and Disney Ad Sales, who explained that the trailers would run 30 to 90 seconds each and will reinforce this year’s theme that the Oscars will feel more like a movie rather than an awards show.
“West Side Story” will hit theaters Dec. 10.
Watch the trailer above.