Steven Spielberg is rounding out the cast for his West Side Story remake and the director has finally found his Maria.
High school student Rachel Zegler, who responded to the production’s open casting call for Latinx actors with a video of herself singing “Tonight” and “Me Siento Hermosa,” will be making her film debut starring in the role played by Natalie Wood in the 1961 classic. Zegler will star opposite Ansel Elgort, who was cast as Tony last year.
In addition to Zegler, Spielberg has also cast the principal Shark roles. Broadway veterans Ariana DeBose and David Alvarez have been cast as Anita and Bernardo while Theater performer Josh Andrés Rivera has been cast as Chino. It was also announced last year that Rita Moreno, who co-starred in the original film and took home an Oscar for her role, will play Valentina, a reconceived and expanded version of the character of Doc.
Spielberg has been striving for authenticity while conceiving the reboot. His team has been conducting research and having conversations with Hispanic heritage and advocacy groups. In December 2018, Spielberg and Tony Kushner, who is adapting West Side Story, sat with professors and students at the University of Puerto Rico (Universidad de Puerto Rico – Río Piedras) to learn more about performing arts on the island. The production team maintains a dialogue with the University and Puerto Rican filmmakers there.
West Side Story will be released by Twentieth Century Fox and filming is slated to start this summer. Additional casting announcements will be made in the coming weeks, specifically in regards to The Sharks and The Jets.
