I don't think it will be bad, but it will be hard to be better than the original.

The Originals are ALWAYS the BEST.

Allison Hartman that depends the Maltese Falcon And the Wizard of Oz (yes this was a remake) are better than their original versions

I think it definitely will be good! I have faith in Spielberg and his fabulous cast ) I think it'll be different from the classic one, more grittier and more realistic

no

We agree those are big shoes to fill!

Also well played by Debbie Allen on Broadway.

Rebecca Brock DeBose is a great dancer and has an amazing voice she is a Tony nominee I don’t think she will disappoint at all!

Rita Moreno’s actually going to appear in the movie

Rebecca Brock Ariana DeBose is amazing look her up watch her dance and listen to her cover of if I were a boy

I'm sure they won't. Sadly.

Yep, nowadays dance scenes are too heavily edited.

The camera dances now instead of the people.

@@donniemoder1466 Very well put.

Genevieve Simon you are not alone!!

Although knowing the play well, he is actually ideal for the part of 'Polish' Tony. Much moreso than Beymer in the original film, who was also terribly bland.

yup especially after the sexual assault allegations, makes me not wanna see this movie cause of him.

eric russell I do agree with that, although I do love Beymer. I do think the character should be given a bit more personality and character, but Beymer’s version just makes me smile the whole time. I don’t know. I just think that his eyes and smile are the things that make his performance because they are full of life, longing, and love, which definitely embody the character.

Gabby Velasquez Yes! He’s always given me bad vibes, and now I know why.

You don't have to be sorry, you are 100% right, nobody can compare to the legend of Rita Moreno.

@@Emmareads15 Even Ariana Debose Will Did A Pretty Good Job As Anita , Rita Moreno's Anita Is Still The Best .

Did you know that Rita Moreno is in the remake? She doesn’t play Anita, but she plays a female version of Doc in this one. I sent her a message that she should try to contact the Guinness Book of World Records for greatest amount of time between appearing in an original movie and its sequel (59 years).

@@aatb7 I love her! lol

These only one Rita Moreno.💕 they could never.

I remember being stunned by that movie when it came out. Of course I was looking mostly at all the pretty girls twirling their pretty dresses! ;-) I'm sure there will be plenty of that in the new version.

That’s the problem with remakes of classic movies….you already know it won’t be on the level of the original..ou can only hope they come close….us I also are easier because we love the songs from the original

Chakiris

I couldn’t help but notice that Rachel Zegler bears a passing resemblance to Natalie Wood.

Me too!!!! I’m so excited for her!! I saw part of this being filmed and she’s amazing 💜💜

Get a grip, children. Icons and exclamation points don't mean a thing, other than within your sophomoric minds....

Me too! I was a huge fan of hers!!!! Her voice was just gorgeous! I’m glad she’s playing Maria!

@@yogadr6 I'm not a child I'm a 35-year-old woman who is extremely proud of this young talented girl from my town. She beat out thousands and thousands of women for this part. I will !!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ All I want. Have a good day. ✌🏼

Fantastic point!!!

I absolutely agree with you. West Side Story was all about the dancing, impeccably choreographed by Robbins. Without Robbins, I'm not sure what we'll get. But, this does seem to be a passion project for Spielberg. so I'll keep an open mind and see what we get.

Without the 1961 cast, director, choreographers and singers,it's going to fall short, just not great like the original.

Don't underestimate Justin Peck. He was a wunderkind choreographer for good reason...

@@cicihouston6965 Justin Peck's likely a talented choreographer, this middleage GenX Philadelphian fuddy duddy , just comparing the 1961 version, which I think onlyy flaw that it didn't go into depth with thw characters, was other than that superb, feel that Speilberg's approach was wrong in wanting tyo make sure all the Sharks had somme Hispanic dna, no Hispanics arn't at all monolithic, not in accents ,culture or dna. nothing not even her horrible accent said 'Puerto Rican girll from the hood or the island' about Rachel Steglar ? She looked to me like a Colombian girl trying to play a Puerto Rican girl, awaful, if they wantred a Hispanic they should of gone with American Ferrera , Jessica Alba or Eva Longoria, all of partial Mexican anscestry but all especially Ferrera can act and along with my 64yr old Rican sisterinlaw or would of made a better Maria, speilberg and his wife had a border racist, ignorant moment by picking a girl, any girl as long as they're sortof Hispanic as though Hispanics can be lumped together, sorry this girl can sing, but lacks acting skills and she's no Puerto Rican, Natalie Wood by far nailed the Puerto Rican essense, much more . just as bad if not worse was her maler lead Ansel ? who played Tony, awful and he had no chemistry with the girl. So again doiwn the line the fall way short weven the actor that played Bernardo, that's a Puerto Rican street tough or boxer ? Everything from his accent to his attitude was wrong, George Chakiris wasn't Puerto Rican but he looked it , lots of Puerto Ricans look like that and most have some Greek anscestry like Chakiris, who was a far superior performer than these kids . Finally again the guy that played Riff was pretty good, but more like Sqiggy from Laverne and Shirley than tough Riff.

I'm sad that the actor who played Ice died 😔

Katherine Howard I FREAKED OUT!

BEN COOK

It's a newsie overload! Mike, Ben, AND Kyle!

I have no idea who that is

I want Ben to play riff cause he was playing it in the broadway show, but Mike is insane as well!!! They’re both so talentedddd!!! Ughhh

I’m here for Myles and Ben

FANSIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agreed

Also, please don't turn it into "The Last Jedi".

Joe River Actually I am not a millennial, and I love Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS (the stage musical). I just didn’t like many things (not all of them) Hollywood did with the 2019 movie version where they undercut the quality of some of the songs by having actors SPEAK what were originally meant to be sung, and did all the goofy CGI. I don’t like seeing good musicals being ruined when made into a movie adaptation, that was all I meant to say. If they decide to adapt a musical into a movie, good, MAKE A GOOD ONE. That’s all I ask of them.

No creativity. Sick of lame remakes.

Arthur Bhutic wtf

I agree. I hope they do it justice.

The women who couldn’t even sing? Anyone who can sing would be an upgrade.

Especially when the singing voice sounds like hundreds of others out there... 🙄

An actual latina would be a better option...

@@fiorellam4397 theyre racists who only wanna see white women in the media. notice how they get so pressed when the casting is actually accurate to the story

I know right!!! Nobody EVER mentions the Shark Ladies! They're amazing and tough. In the movie, I love those characters!

I love Graziella. She has the best line in the whole show, “I and Velma ain’t dumb.” I love how she says it.

not 'went on to star' she was still on Dance Moms when she was collaborating with Sia. I think Maddie has really explored a lot more genre's and challenged herself since parting ways with Abby Lee Miller and Dance Moms...she was being stifled

Maddie is a versatile dancer and West Side Story is notorious for its sensational choreography so it will be very exciting to see

That's interesting was she good in the role as Velma, I didn't see the whole West Side remake, but from what I see it pales in it's entirety cast, crew director, to the 1961 version

Maybe. I find it hard to watch old movies. Production quality has improved significantly. Format has changed. Immersion saturation matters.

I prefer the new one, because while the Broadway show of course was lovely and so was the movie, I can’t get past the racist depictions of Puerto Ricans and the fact that white actors painted their skin darker and spoke with stereotypical accents in the 1961 film. I think that the movie can only get better from that, and I love the remake because it keeps the heart of the show intact but also adds a more detailed and niche perspective to the show.

@@danimiller9932 Don`t worry,I`m sure the new version will be totally PC .

It's like trying to remake The Wizard of Oz

The Two Best!

Reading your post Tom.....made me I remembered going to West Side Story at 5 years old age with my Mom. Since then, I’ve watched it a million times and love it over and over!

@@barbarabonnette2705 What a tremendous movie! I’m looking forward to the new movie! Rita Moreno is in it, too! Thank you for your reply, Barbara!

You’re right. Russ was the best dancer in the original movie cast.

Yes he was, but listening to the music that's used in the new trailer...those strings gave me goosebumps. Fingers crossed they maintain that.

They will I do not think this movie should be touch this is my favorite movie .

WHY do they keep redoing Great movie. The remake usually aren’t very good and most totally SUCK! !

@@terrierowlett2272 They're NOT remaking the 1961 film- they're doing their own adaptation of the STAGE production.

Yes, and his role in Tom Thumb was also before WSS - he didn’t get it “because of” WSS, as this video says. As soon as I heard that incorrect statement, I stopped trusting the info in the video.

He played the youngest brother--- and the reason there were only seven, apparently...

He was great!

😆

It won’t

More so, it should live up to the original Broadway production as that is what it is based on rather than the 1961 film.

Totally agree but Natalie Wood hated him and made his life a living hell during filming which is why he doesn't participate in cast reunions. WSS is a bad memory for him. Apparently, she wanted Warren Beaty or Steve McQueen for Tony. To put up with all that garbage for months shows you what a great actor Dick Beymer really is.

I personally loved Richard Beymer’s performance. The bedroom scene I still find very sensual. The ending still is very sad, and that’s because of HIS performance, along with Natalie Wood and the music.

Yuck. I thought he was the weakest link in West Side Story. Zero charisma. Zero sex appeal. (I thought he was great in Twin Peaks, though.) Now George Chakiris, on the other hand...

@Dorset Deb wow yikes surely talent should trump looks but this is irrelevant since the entire cast is beautiful anyway. I don’t think the fact that the entire cast was attractive in the original is what made it iconic so your point is kinda strange :/

@Trinity Gilreath the actor who played Tony wasn't Polish in neither the original nor the remake version, so I don't see the problem in not picking puerto-ricans to play puerto-ricans.

@@vicentereacts1304 I think she’s referring to how white people were being put in brown face to play Puerto Rican’s in the original which was very highly upsetting to find out since it’s a classic

@@vicentereacts1304 The Jets are of Polish DESCENT- not actually Polish. The Sharks are all first generation Americans who immigrated to America from Puerto Rico recently.

@@rebekahsegun8319 but Rachel Zegler is not a migrant from PR, she was already born in the mainland. New Jersey, to be more precise. And she is actually more Polish than Ansel (through her father). If you ask me, she should be one of the Jets, but hey, it's fiction. I don't mind people of a certain ethnicity playing different ethnicities (how many times has Meryl Streep done that, for Christ's sake), I just don't see the point on picking on Natalie Wood's (actress who played Maria in the 1961 version) casting in the first film and not on Richard Beymer's (actor who played Tony in the 1961 version).

But I So hyped because Ariana Will Play Anita (Personally The Best Character In West Side Story).

Uki Not sure who she is yet, but I’m sure she’ll be great

Not to rude, but if you don’t want it to be ruined for you then just don’t watch it.

omg!!! i am doing that exact assignment right now!!! but we have to compare Romeo & Juliet (Baz Lurmann) - Romeo & Juliet (Franco Zefferelli) - West Side Story!

Nah the remake would have real latinos and not painted brown faces plus Rita Moreno would be there too

Well they just did.

@@davidreidenberg9941 No they didn't

High Noon!

I guess Rita Moreno might be surprised that she lost her Latina card.

Yeah, the only Latino actress was Anita's actress, Rita Moreno. It's a shame that the previous cast did not represent the ethnicities, but thankfully, the new one should!!!

But the have teen beach movies but it’s kinda a remake but the movies are taking Place in the movie so it’s kinda a remake

@@fsketchartdesigns9115 Latinos who could act and dance, possibly sing (although singing could be dubbed).

Rita Moreno 'n José de Vega (who was Chino at the movie) were latino actors, and they played latino characters at the movie. By the way... only latino actors can play latino characters???? Only straight actors can play straight characters? Only jew actors can play jew characters or the whole movie was wrong? *Let's film "Schildler's List" again... coz LIAM NEESON is NOT GERMAN!!!!!*

I agree about Rita but Natalie was not Latina and she couldn’t sing and had to be dubbed. Sooo.

@@lauriebriggs9705 The important thing is that Natalie Wood had charisma and plays a totally convincing Latina. She succeeded in the role with someone else's voice doing her singing. Maybe you're not one of them, but many people who are invested in the remake have a political and cultural agenda going on of some sort.

@@archraskal I saw the remake, and I could not see any political propaganda or political agenda in the story. And I am a Trump-supporting conservative.

@@perfectsplit5515 Many people are discussing this movie, quite often, with the agenda I;ve purposed. It's noticeable.This really doesn't have anything to do with who you vote for president.

@@archraskal there’s always an agenda. Painting all the stars including Rita Moreno in a brown skin tone during the 1950s was an agenda.

The original cast were young too, so ...?

Newsies forever! There's three of them in this, and I'm pumped! (Mike, Ben, and Kyle)

@@fiddler_stickss also the Guzman twins. There’s a lot of newsies

You ever seen it on stage?

Lol! I'm Hispanic and pass for white even though I have dark eyes and hair. I love when jaws drop when I speak Spanish to Hispanics who think I didn't understand what they were saying. It works that way too with whites who think i don't speak English. Nobody is being mean, they just don't know that they are confused about me. I'm bilingual, but I'm not going to wear a badge saying I'm bilingual. Lol

The best! And Tamblyn too...

@@marknewton6984 yesss, Russ is an incredible Riff

I don't think they can beat the Original!

I agree. Natalie Wood was not only beautiful, but a true star

You can do it!

I've met Jimmy & Rita Moreno irl, both were very nice. I was really impressed with Ms Moreno's kindness!!! She paid me a very nice compliment that I will cherish for the rest of my life!!!

@@tommie659 what did she say??

Glad someone feels that way

She’s gonna blow us all away with her performance!

Tony gets immense songs. But the soundtrack is packed with good numbers.

Some remakes were successful. Besides, this has been remade numerous times on stage

It’s not perfect. They didn’t have many people of color in it, the leads couldn’t even sing. So it seems like this will be a lot better because they are casting people who have been on a broadway stage and can sing and dance.

@@punkwrestle No one could possibly be better than Rita Moreno and George Chakiris.

Punkwrestle yes! This movie really needs to be remade bc the music and story is wonderful but the brownface makes me so uncomfortable!

Carol Lipton Maybe, but we definitely can do better for Tony and Maria, who didn’t even sing. If the lead actors in a musical can’t sing, can we really call that musical the best it can be? Mickey Roonie is a great actor, but wouldn’t someone who didn’t need to tape their eyes be better playing someone Asian in Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

me too and she ALWAYS gets left out

And what a talent!

My only complaint about was his sing during the America number

The guy that Spielberg cast doesn't have the looks, the legs, or the grace of George Chakiris. He's totally uncharismatic. I don't know what Spielberg was thinking.

Chakiris just oozed sensuality and charisma. I'm a little concerned about the actor they've cast to replace him. He does't appear to have those smouldering good looks, but he's clearly talented - hopefully he's charismatic!

Don't forget Chakiris and Tamblyn!

I agree. The play is MUCH MORE POWERFUL than the bland film. I hope Spielberg gets it right thsi time.

Translations of stage musicals to the screen are difficult, likely because of cinema technology: close-ups, camera movement, editing. I can think of a few exceptions: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," thanks to Richard Lester's brilliant direction and clever editing; "Kiss Me Kate," as it was largely set on the stage, and shot in 3D; "Jesus Christ Superstar," so outrageous that it kind of works. Musicals created for the screen fare much better: "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "Singin' in the Rain," "The Band Wagon," for example.

@@michaelkaplan22b True,--I studied Film so I know all the points you brought up. . MY favorite film musicals are "Oliver" (thankfully directed by a Brit, and one known for Drama, and NOT an American, who surely would have 'sugared' it up) and 'Cabaret', changed significantly from the stage production., but drected by one of its originators, Fosse. My problem with WSS is that it toned down the vibrancy and edge of the play (the creator of the play's 'look', choreographer Jerome Robbons, quit early on in filmmaking for this very reason). Even if I did NOT know thw play, the film doesn't work--it is dated--but for the worng reasons. BTW, "Superstar" for me, was an interesting disaster as a film, though the concept they came up with--actors putting it on in the desert--was a clever one, but they emphasized the 'hippiness' too much.' The film of 'Hair' was another miscalculation.

@@eldiran2 Interesting that Fosse's name comes up. He was one of the supporting players in "Kiss Me Kate," and his choreography for one of the sequences in "From This Moment On" launched his choreographic career. And ... you've GOT to see this film in 3D to fully appreciate it. I threw in "Jesus Christ" because it was filmed just outside the town in Israel I lived in, and many of the extras were from the town. Aside from its location in archeological ruins, and the stunning opening with Israeli air force jets flying overhead, I agree that, overall, the film was not very good. BTW it will be interesting to see how "Hamilton" translates to the screen.

Don't understand people not liking the original film. I thought it was wonderful. In spite of the lip syncing I thought all the actors were perfect. I'm dubious about the remake especially since one of the main creative forces behind the original, Jerome Robbins, is no longer with us. Wish the new cast and crew all the best but good luck recreating Robbins electric choreography.

Yes! I saw the remake of Ben Hur and it was so-I Bad! I couldn’t believe how bad it was!

She was the 1st .