West side story movie set going up in paterson ahead of. The earlier, 1961 west side story was filmed in new yorks nowdemolished san juan hill district in the 60s, the citys original, preharlem black neighborhood lincoln center is there now. With ansel elgort, rachel zegler, ariana debose, david alvarez. The complex, originally owned by one jesse durham hampton, was bought by hollywood power couple mary pickford and douglas fairbanks to become the pickfordfairbanks studio. Everything you need to know about west side story movie. West side story is an upcoming 2020 american romantic musical drama film directed and coproduced by steven spielberg, with a screenplay by tony kushner. Steven spielbergs west side story remake to film in harlem.
Spielbergs west side story remake filmed at william. Steven spielberg is officially remaking west side story. This west side story remake will follow the same plot as the original, detailing a heated feud between the jets, a white american gang, and the sharks, their puerto. Filming has begun on steven spielbergs west side story, as evidenced by the release of the firstlook cast image. West side story was filmed on the streets of new york city, mainly in the area where the lincoln center for the performing arts campus of fordham university now stands. West side story after an intense winter casting search, steven spielberg has pulled together all he needs to begin filming his upcoming adaptation of. The film opens with aerial shots establishing the setting, a workingclass neighborhood of new york city. After being beefed up with commercials, it had to be shown in 2 parts over two nights. West side story presents the jets, an american gang, and the sharks, a puerto rican gang, who rival over who will rule the streets of the upper west side of manhattan in the late 1950s. Spielbergs west side story continues filming in essex.
However, this tragedy is not set in verona, italy, but on 68th between west end and amsterdam avenues, which is now occupied by lincoln towers. West side story has been that one haunting temptation that i have finally given in to, he said. Npr had lots of stuff on the anniversary of west side story a while back. The musical explores the rivalry between the jets and the sharks, two teenage. The city was doing a lot of urban renewal and tearing down the old neighborhoods. West side story is a musical with a book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein and lyrics by stephen sondheim.
The first onset image from the directors new big screen adaptation of the broadway classic west side story dropped monday morning. The main characters, tony, an american and exjet, and maria, the sister of bernardo leader of the sharks fall in love at a dance. West side story movie 2020 first look steven spielberg. West side story explores young love and tensions between rival gangs the jets and the sharks on the streets of 1957 new york. The jets, a local white street gang headed by riff played. Based on the 1957 broadway stage production of the same name, west side story has become one of the most wellknown musicals of all time. Steven spielbergs west side story remake is heading to harlem this summer to film, page six has exclusively learned. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 broadway musical of the same name by arthur laurents, leonard bernstein and stephen sondheim, which is based loosely on shakespeares romeo and juliet. The young protagonist, tony, a former member of the jets.
A first look at steven spielbergs west side story vanity fair. The prologue of west side story was filmed on location in. West side story film still pretty, and witty, at 50 fifty years ago, the film version of the acclaimed broadway musical premiered in theaters across the country. Two youngsters from rival new york city gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy. Rita moreno will star in the upcoming remake of west side story. David gordon rita moreno, who won an oscar for her portrayal of anita in the 1961 original, will take the role valentina, a. Over 50 years since the original west side story screen adaptation, much of the original cast is still celebrating the films legacy and weighing in on the forthcoming new version coming. You can buy the film on dvd or buy the soundtrack on cd at places that sell digital entertainment. West side story wraps production, steven spielberg thanks cast. I remember when this film ran on nbc television about 25 years ago.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Stephen spielberg west side story news, premiere date. Actors on the paterson set of steven spielbergs west side story in august. Steven spielbergs 2020 version of west side story filmed in newark on september 6 and 7. Back then, the neighborhood was cleared out for an urban renewal project for lincoln. West side story 1961 tonight, tonight, it all began tonight. Everything we know about the west side story remake from.
With natalie wood, george chakiris, richard beymer, russ tamblyn. West side story joins a growing list of movies and tv series that have filmed in paterson in the past few months and years. An adaptation of the 1957 musical, west side story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the jets and the sharks, two. Although west side story was named the best picture of 1961 and won 10 academy awards, it is not much mentioned by movie fans these days, and the old warhorse singin in the rain is probably more seen and certainly better loved. The majority of west side story was shot on sound stages at the samuel goldwyn studio, now known as the lot, 1041 north formosa avenue at santa monica boulevard, west hollywood. Filming for steven spielbergs west side story is underway and parts of the movie are being filmed in paterson. First look at steven spielbergs remake west side story, coming out dec. West side story is a retake on shakespeares romeo and juliet that begins one fateful evening. Here is everything we know about the upcoming west side story remake. So its not the the metropolitan opera the met, home of the famous opera company, located in new york city. Ansel elgort as tony ansel elgort nabbed the role of tony, the founder of the jets, one of the street gangs in. West side story is a 1961 american musical romantic drama film directed by robert wise and jerome robbins.
We filmed west side story all over new york, flatbush. Steven spielberg marks the end of filming on his west side story remake, which stars ansel elgort and rachel zegler, with a heartfelt goodbye letter. While filming isnt slated to begin till summer, heres what we know now. In 1960 on a cold morning in february, the makers of west side story began filming along manhattans west 68th street. It stars natalie wood, richard beymer, russ tamblyn, rita moreno, and george chakiris, and was photographed. See photos from the west side story movie steven spielberg filmed. The story is set in the upper west side neighborhood in new york city in the mid 1950s, a multiracial, bluecollar neighborhood.
As a celebration of carnegie halls 125th anniversary season, weill music institute wmi presents the somewhere project, an exploration of west side story that spans across all five boroughs of new york city this new vision for the timeless broadway classic with music by leonard bernstein immerses audiences in a community celebration thats equal parts exhibition, theater, and special. West side story was the kind of musical people thought was good for them, a pious expression of admirable but unrealistic liberal sentiments, and certainly its. With a screenplay by ernest lehman, the film is an adaptation of the 1957 broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was inspired by william shakespeares play romeo and juliet. The filming took place just off south orange avenue in newark and east orange. The photos from the movie west side story in this entry are mostly promotional photos for the movie from various online sources.
Jul 5, 20 the prologue of west side story was filmed on location in nyc but the basketball court was on the east side. An adaptation of the 1957 musical, west side story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the jets and the sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. On the set of spielbergs west side story in newark. Movies filmed on the upper west side i love the upper. Amblin posted pics of spielberg with the films core cast of ansel elgort. West side story continues to be mounted regularly in high schools, universities, community and regional theaters, and in firstclass revivals around the world. With the overwhelming success of the film version of west side story in 1961 and its ongoing popularity, the show and its score were more fully appreciated and embraced by audiences. They secretly meet afterward and profess their pure and innocent love for one. The sharks mostly recent puerto rican immigrants and the jets mostly second generation european immigrants circa 1960. Now, vanity fair has firstlook photos of the 2020 reimagining of the classic. The opening sequence was shot on the streets of new york city mainly in the area where the lincoln center campus of fordham university now. Just beyond where they were filming stood half a block of boarded tenements destined for demolition which would soon make way for the newly constructed lincoln center.
West side story in us theaters december 18, 2020 starring ansel elgort, rachel zegler, ariana debose, david alvarez. When director robert wise and choreographer jerome robbins adapted it into a film in 1961, west side story broke the box office record for. To be even more specific, the west side story scenes were primarily filmed on one street. It is marked by extreme use of deep shadows, with very high contrast between the brightest parts of the scene and the darkest parts, which are obscured in shadows. Some streets to close friday for west side story filming. Everything we know so far about the west side story remake. West side story 1961 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. West side story set photo reveals first look at sharks. A lowkey lighting design looks dark overall by comparison.
West side story film still pretty, and witty, at 50. Certain stills i have used to illustrate locations come from the 1961 film released by mgm studios. The musical explores the rivalry between the jets and the sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Steven spielberg spent weeks in paterson this past summer filming his upcoming movie musical west side story. The film s screenplay is expected to hew more closely. Filming for steven spielbergs remake of west side story continued tuesday in essex county. The west side story uses different kinds of lighting throughout the film, but the lowkey is the most prominent. The legendary director first expressed his interest in bringing the classic musical back to the big screen in 2014, but it wasnt until last year that it became clear just how serious he is about the whole thing. Gang of new york in the 1961 film west side story, members of the sharks gangplayed by jay norman, george chakiris, and eddie versotake to the streets. This video shows the films cast, both the jets and the sharks. The members of the sharks, from puerto rico, are taunted by the jets, a white gang. West side story 1961 is an energetic, widelyacclaimed, melodramatic musical a modernday, loose retelling of shakespeares romeo and juliet tragedy of feuding families, although the setting is the upper west side of new york city in the late 1950s with conflict between rival street gangs rather than families. West side story is a beautifullymounted, impressive, emotionridden and violent musical which, in its stark approach to a raging social problem and realism of unfoldment, may set a pattern for.