Spielberg's Has Cast Leads for West Side Story

They changed Hermione from white to black. They've changed the lead in The Passage from white to black. They made all the founding fathers black and latino. What would have happened if they'd made Maria black?

Disgusting

No JLo?

Spielberg is such a boring director now.

I think Spielberg has been a boring director since Jaws.

I really believed SS cast Ansel. Dude needs a hit...

Baby Driver 2 ????

Nevermind. I see that he did . Anyone who saw Baby Driver knows Ansel was born to do musicals...

Spielberg doing remakes. Maybe next he can helm "The A Team 2".

I actually think remaking WSW is a good idea...

Really, really stupid.

No1curr.

we all said A Star Is Born was a bad idea

R1 As well they should be.

I know nothing about musicals, but isn't Maria Puerto Rican? Why can't she be black? Most Ricans I've met in NYC were blacks. Am I missing something?

How will Spielberg work Hurricane MARIA rumbling through Puerto Rico?

In which role is Meryl cast: Anita, Maria or Doc?

Is there a role for an old white maid/butler? Just asking for a “friend” since I know next month is going to be difficult for “them” (especially February 24).

Maybe if the baby faced actor playing Chino WEARS a pair of Chinos, he'll actually look the part.

White Hollywood casts a Colombian-American and a Cuban-American as Puerto Ricans, believing there’s no difference and figuring the rest of white America won’t think so either. Since they are at least Latin, Spielberg thinks he should get points for such an amazing achievement.

As long as they can sing the show as written and not American Idol/gospelize or rap the songs.

Look to exude zero charisma.

Yes, you are, r14. Only a quarter of the population is non-White, according to the last census.

What role will Emma Stone have? I hear she can play every race!

I'M SORRY!

You should apologize to all of the people that wasted their time with that overlong, tiring and rusty musical of yours!

Tony should be a women, Toni, in order to show the female empowerment that is hammered home at every awards ceremony.

What the fuck about us ?

Why wasn't Lin Manuel Miranda cast he's in the right ethnic group.?

Keep away from her, 'cept for Chino.

This is not the West Side Story we know.

Look at R26 and R27 working themselves up over absolutely fucking nothing.

Can't they just present this live on TV? A totally new movie is so unnecessary

R14, I want you to imagine the uproar if they'd cast an African America actress as Maria. Remember what happened when they were trying to cast some white actress as Cleopatra and the internet went apoplectic that they weren't casting a black actress even though Cleopatra was Greek? Same exact thing would happen.

DeBose looks quite a bit like the woman who played Joanne in the movie version of Rent.

Realize it's a musical but there are plenty of spoken lines. So all of the Hispanic/Spanish actors will have vastly different accents? Or will they adopt a PR accent for this film?

LOL R19 -- exactly.

Like saying "oh we wanted to be ethnically correct, so we cast a Sicilian woman to play (Norwegian) Nora in Doll's House because they're both European."

There is no NEED for this movie.

It is as unneeded as Gun Van Sant's reshooting of Hitchcock's Psycho.

There its nothing that Speelburg can do except shave off a few minutes off the running time. There are no spaceshipsI No CGI! No point in Speelburg wasting his money.

I bet Armie Hammer is mad that he didn't get the lead.

This is not relevant anymore. It would be if the lead characters were an orthodox Muslim and Jew. That would make sense. Why remake something decades later if you're not going to keep the conflict impact?

R38 gets it.

R38, Wasn't WWS supposed to be an updated version of South Pacific with the theme of interracial dating and marriage between the two couples (Emil's 1st wife and mixed-race kids?)

The best feature of Bernstein's score was the Mambo.

But North American kids don't do that anymore.

Were there no attractive male actors available?

I can play every part. Too bad I'm on tour.

R41 made me weep tears of joy, and I love Gustavo Dudamel with all my heart.

I know: MARIA!!!

R40 I don't know. It just bothers me that so much capability in the general public for intellectual complexity has been lost. This story isn't about celebrating ethnic identity, it's about two people falling in love and trying to make a life together even though their communities and families forbid that their love even exist.

That article makes a point of stating that Spielberg searched far and wide for "latinix" actors which is so far off the mark regarding relevance in the context of the original that it makes me sad. But more sadly, there are people who would complain if "authentic" Latino actors weren't cast, which would be like people complaining that an authentic Norwegian wasn't found to play Elsa in a live action version of "Frozen". It's so off the mark.

Spielberg is gross, so many dark rumours on him, and yeah this is totally irrelevant unless they plan to set it in the past.

I'm the same, R44.

I usually loathe audience participation at orchestral concerts but these people are genuine people appreciating their own vibrant culture.

There is an all “Latinx” production of The Diary of Anne Frank being put up in Los Angeles currently. I shit you not.

I'm looking forward to this movie..

Excluding Amistad, this is more minorities than Steven Spielberg’s had in all his movies combined.

zzzzzzzzzzz

R50 Speaking of "Amistad", there is a relevance to the racial ethnicity of the cast because it is indivisible from the story. It has major historical relevance.

Maybe I missed that he is but unless Spielberg is making the historical "West Side Story", period costumes and all, a Latino boy marrying a Blatino girl in 2019 does not have major social hurdles to overcome in today's American ethnic communities. A Jewish boy marrying a devout Muslim girl would be more fitting for the level of conflict and drama needed to carry this play into the present.

They need to start having actors submit to an ancestry test before auditions. That way we will be sure to get authenticity

R50 Try again. Spielberg also did "The Color Purple". smh

[quote]a Latino boy marrying a Blatino girl in 2019 does not have major social hurdles to overcome in today's American ethnic communities

R52, the two guys pictured above are playing Bernardo and Chino, respectively. I believe Tony is still going to be white.

I think a new WSS movie is a great idea because the original movie sucks.

I have dated several (gorgeous) puerto rican guys and their skin was whiter than mine, so no, to the above poster who thinks puerto ricans are black.

I just hope they can sing.

Who cares if they can sing? They’re LATINX!!!! That’s all that matters!!!

What's wrong with the original movie, R56?.

I thought it was fantastic (apart from the dubbed plastic Natalie)

I loved the original movie. I was a little sprite then, and was so impressed with the music and dancing.

Even though I can pass for white, I turned down the lead role of Tony.

Wouldn't want to take a role away from a white guy.

Excluding Amistad and The Color Purple, this is more minorities than Steven Spielberg’s had in all his movies combined.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019 Blind Item #8

No one knows the exact number, but the permanent A+ list director now has the contact information for about 3,000 tweens and teens, many of whom had no chance for a recent role just so he could have them in his database. He also knows who are the most vulnerable to his pitches.

I'm sick of propagandising, sentimentalising sanctimonious Spielberg.

(I had to walk out Colour Purple because it was nauseating and I REFUSED to see Schindler)

The grasping model whore casted as Anita has a truly punchable face.

This movie needs Color-Blind Casting.

WSS was written as a modern retelling of Romeo & Juliet, for those who don’t know.

I've posted this before. This CD/album/recording of WSS with Leonard and Kiri Te Kanawa and José Carreras is perfection. There is no acting. No dancing. Just music. It's utter bliss. Jose's version of "Maria" is not like anything I've ever heard before. He hits one note that brings me to tears (yeah yeah, I know) but it is just perfect. If you get a chance, listen to this album. I think there was a video about the making of this. LB was INTENSE butthe end result was worth it.

How is that when West Side Story came out first, R66? Romeo & Juliet didn’t come out until 1996.

Ugh. Looks like a Disney Channel production.

Why weren’t John Legend and Chrissy Teigen cast in the leads?

[quote]There is an all “Latinx” production of The Diary of Anne Frank being put up in Los Angeles currently.

El Diario de Ani DeFranco

[quote]I bet Armie Hammer is mad that he didn't get the lead.

I agree. He'd have made a lovely Maria.

Most Puerto Ricans consider themselves to be white.

But you know if this were a musical with mostly gay characters, 90% of the actors cast would be straight, and nobody would say a damn word about it.

R68 for the win.

Most white Puerto Ricans are brown skinned. A large percentage of PR’s are black. What’s the issue? If they are going for authenticity, they should do a papis in prison casting call for the PR gang.

This is going to bomb. No one wants to see a stupid remade musical.

Yes r73 Until it helps them in their career to go full brown

I loved that, R41! It was wonderful watching the musicians actually enjoying the music they were playing.

But if if takes place on the West Side shouldn't they all be white?

Ariana Debose is a great dancer. She was dreadful as "Disco Donna" because she's not as impressive a singer. I think she's a great pick for Anita. And she likes the ladies.

I'm shocked they didn't try to shoehorn in some British actor into one of the lead roles.

A star Is Born remake #4, is up there as an Oscar potential.. has many great reviews. Who would have thought? I wouldn't say WSS will bomb. It's a classic, and could be excellent.

I am so against this remake. I'm irrationally angry about it.

I can't believe we haven't analyzed the new Maria yet! She sounds like Lea Salonga to me.

She also appears to be quite the ham, but that's probably because she's used to high school musical theater. Hopefully Spielberg can get her to tone it down a bit for the camera.

Ansel Elgort as Tony? Blech.

Hard to improve on the original. I thought about this last night as I was lying in bed....what's next, Greese???

Josh Andrés Rivera is a really cutie and quite buff. He'll have to slim down the muscles including his luscious booty.

Slim down what muscles? He’s a twink.

He's got muscles. His pants were tight when I met him, also in Hamilton.

BUTT. Pecs!

How does Rita Moreno get an Executive Producer credit for this? She may be EGOT, but that's a big reward and the part itself should have been sufficient. Then again is it because she's so old that she can act as the authenticity authority of the time period?

I’m really concerned about bisexual representation and visibility in this remake.

Bisexual erasure is a hate crime.

I heard the painful Alice Cooper did a version of West Side Story. I, of course, never listened to it.

Just like I won't be paying a nickel for this totally unnecessary remake.

I bet the Jingoist-Jewish Spielburg will cut that section of the score that references the (so-called-Nazi) Richard Wagner.

To paraphrase Bette Midler: I never miss a Steven Spielberg musical. Or a Clint Eastwood musical. Or a John Huston musical....

Don't worry R27. They haven't cast Anybodys yet.

R91 I bet Spend-happy Billionaire Speilburg gave the title "Executive Producer" to Rita Moreno just to shut her up.

He knows she likes to blab and bad-mouth others.

^ Speilburg can pay to shut Rita Moreno up just like Olivier paid to shut Bitch-Tynan up.

[quote] Spielberg also did "The Color Purple". smh

And he's set to do the musical version of that as well! God, how the mighty have fallen! He's approaching Cecil B. DeMille territory now, remaking his own films decades later simply because he's out of new ideas.

Kate Capshaw IS Maria!

Doris Day IS Maria!

Remember a year ago ? What we said about the A Star Is Born remake ?

Rachel appears to be a huge Freddie Mercury fan.

I'm skeptical because WSS is my favorite film ever.

Suddenly, thousands of marginally talented actors of color think they are very talented because white-guilt SJW’s are only casting them in things. White actors need not apply.

This movie isn't needed. Stupid Spielburg should do his virtue-signalling exercise on Porgy and Bess

[QUOTE]Suddenly, thousands of marginally talented actors of color think they are very talented because white-guilt SJW’s are only casting them in things. White actors need not apply.

Wow this white supremacist is furious. Hollywood is still white as ever and this guy’s upset that a few more minorities are getting roles.

West Side Borey.

R107, racist queens like R105 are a dime of dozen at Datalounge. The anti-SJWs are just as insufferable as the SJWs they complain about.

This clip isn't half as much fun as the brilliant, life-affirming clip at R41 but the fact remains that modern street street-kids do NOT dance The Mambo.

The is no magic in WSS without Natalie Wood.

I agree. Natalie she is the heart of that movie.

Natalie was mute in that movie.

I hate the musical. It’s over rated, overly hyped, overly praised.

R114 Do you hate the musical or the film?

[quote]To paraphrase Bette Midler: I never miss a Steven Spielberg musical. Or a Clint Eastwood musical. Or a John Huston musical....

Don't forget me!

The difference between WSS and ASIB is that WSS a written musical with an established score. ASIB can change with each remake, with different characters, different genres of music and entirely new songs. We already know the story and characters of WSS, and we already know the music.

William Wyler did one musical. Have you heard of a little film called Funny Girl ?

zzzzzzzzzz......

Next up: a ripped-from-the-headlines remake of "The Defiant Ones," script by Tony Kushner....

R102.. Right??

I talk to R95, but he doesn't listen to me.

Yes, Josh Andrés Rivera is adorable. I can't believe I'm typing this but that's irrelevant, here. I'll watch Josh Andrés Rivera as eye candy but this WSS will be pointless.

The stakes are just not high enough in 2019 for the characters for any of the numbers to have a point. It would be like a whole play about whether or not a non virgin should wear white to her wedding, if she could live with the guilt of it and how this is relevant today.

R121.. Eastwood also talks to empty chairs..

They said they're keeping the story as taking place in the 1950's, R122.

Is Sondheim involved at all with this remake, or is he just cashing the check?

He sought approval first. And it didn't go too smoothly.

Oh, [R21], I'm hearin' ya, baby.....OK, William Wyler. But we could go on and on with this....a Joseph L. Mankiewicz musical? Let's not forget THAT one.

Who's doing Clint's singing in that shitty musical? It sounds like Chet Baker, but it's not.

The majority of actors on broadway right now are of color. There is no imbalance anymore unless you count the fact that white actors are told not to audition for things because it’s “diverse only” casting now.

Howard Hawks did Gentlemen Prefer Blondes a gay classic. It is dumb to say Spielberg can’t do one. Huston failed with Annie. James Brooks did a musical with Prince songs that were cut out before release of film.

Clint Eastwood also makes major films with non actors and fails big time. An Asian lady does the same thing and her film is almost a masterpiece.

The film was The Rider.

He's already done musical. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

And let's not forget The Color Purple had big musical numbers in it. Spielberg is too much of a student of classic Hollywood filmmaking to fail at making a musical.

Last time. Although many other directors worked on it Victor Fleming before and after never did a film like Wizard of Oz.

I remember reading early in his career SS wanted to do a film in every genre.

Has Spielberg done a horror film? I know he's produced some, but I don't think he's ever directed one himself. He should have done one in the 80s.

When’s his porn feature coming out?

Seen Munich?

I think it takes a lot of guts to cast an all mongrel West Side Story. And he threw in a couple of acting chimps too! Get ready for Oscar time!

Many say he directed Poltergeist. What would you call Jaws . Remember did a Night Gallery with Joan. SS is really good with suspense I wish he would do a straight up Hitchcock film without a warm and fuzzy ending he loves so much.

Yeah, I've heard that his involvement with Poltergeist was more extensive than one would think. It definitely feels like the type of horror film Spielberg would make.

Jaws could be considered horror. This film, Jurassic Park, and War of the Worlds all use suspenseful elements of horror. I'd love to see a Hitchcockian drama from him. I don't think he'd do it now though. He could have done it in the past.

Also that killer semi TV movie starring Dennis Weaver could be called horror.

It's not a horror movie, but Hook was definitely a horror.

He lives with horror. Have you seen Kate without makeup?

[quote]But even some of those green lights are being met with scrutiny. One source says Horn is questioning the apparent plan to have young characters smoking onscreen in West Side Story. "With Fox, we can make movies that right now I say no to. ... We always have to think about the smoking policy. The audience for a Disney movie may not know what they are going to see, but they know what they aren't going to see," the exec said in a recent interview with THR. "There are certain things we just can't include because we'll get letters."

Anti-Smoking Troll, rejoice!

Schedule Release date: December 18, 2020

Film begins this summer.

[quote] ...Disney announced it will release the film on Dec. 18, 2020 — when the studio has no plans to release a Star Wars or Avatar movie.